French Connection Men's Auderly V-Neck Pullover Sweater, Black/Gunmetal, Large

• Light weight
• Soft

V-neck sweater

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Beauty and the Beast

• the beauty and the beast
• Belle
• Picture frame
• photo frame
• bell photo frame

This "tale as old as time" follows the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself imprisoned in the castle of a mysterious beast. With the assistance of the castle's enchanted staff, a delightful and tender romance develops between these two unlikely friends and Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all â€" that true beauty comes from within.The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance (following The Little Mermaid) and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is! too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman. (The title song won the 1991 Best Song Oscar, and Menken's score scored a trophy as well.) The downright funniest song is "Gaston," a lout's paean to himself (including the immortal line, "I use antlers in all of my de-co-ra-ting"). "Be Our Guest" is transformed into an inspired Busby Berkeley homage. Since Ashman's passing, animated musicals haven't quite reached the same exhilarating level of wit, sophistication, and pure joy. --David Kronke --This text refers to an out of print or una! vailable edition of this title.

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Sicko (Special Edition)

• Following on the heels of his Palm d'Or winning Fahrenheit 9/11 and his Oscar winning film Bowling for Columbine, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore's new documentary sets out to investigate the American healthcare system. Sticking to his tried-and-true one-man approach, Moore sheds light on the complicated medical affairs of individuals and local communities. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:

Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore (Roger & Me) takes aim at America's love affair with guns and violence in this Oscar(r)-winning* film that "demands attention" (People)! Mixing riveting footage, hilarious animation and candid interviews with everyone from the NRA's Charlton Heston to shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, Bowling for Columbine is a "brilliant" (The Hollywood Reporter) tour de force of filmmaking. *2002: Documentary FeatureMichael Moore's superb documentary (following in the footsteps of Roger & Me and The Big One) tackles a meaty subject: gun control. Moore skillfully lays out arguments surrounding the issue and short-circuits them all, leaving one impossible question: why do Americans kill each other more often than people in any other democratic nation? Moore focuses his quest around the shootings at Columbine High School and the shooting of one 6-year-old by another near his own hometown of Flint, Michigan. By approaching the headquarters of K-Mart (where the Columbine shooters bought their ammo) and going to Charlton Heston's own home, Moore demands accountability from the forces that support unrestricted gun sales in the U.S. His arguments are conducted with the humor and empathy that have made Moore more than just a gadfly; he's become a genuine voice of reason in a world driven by fear and greed. --Bret FetzerStudio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 08/04/2008The Michael Moore Limited Edition DVD Collector's Set collects two of his landmark docu! mentaries as well as a bonus disc of footage from the tour pro! moting h is 2003 book Dude, Where's My Country? Bowling for Columbine (2002) tackles a meaty subject: gun control. Moore skillfully lays out arguments surrounding the issue and short-circuits them all, leaving one impossible question: why do Americans kill each other more often than people in any other democratic nation? Moore focuses his quest around the shootings at Columbine High School and the shooting of one 6-year-old by another near his own hometown of Flint, Michigan. By approaching the headquarters of K-Mart (where the Columbine shooters bought their ammo) and going to Charlton Heston's own home, Moore demands accountability from the forces that support unrestricted gun sales in the U.S. His arguments are conducted with the humor and empathy that have made Moore more than just a gadfly; he's become a genuine voice of reason in a world driven by fear and greed. The two-disc special edition included here is officially out of print and not available separately. ! Its features include an updated voice-over introduction from Michael Moore on the first disc, as well as a direct-to-camera talk on the second disc in which he discussed reactions to the film, and his reaction to winning an Oscar (he had to recite his celebrated acceptance speech because the Academy refused permission for him to show a clip, and he offered his take on who was booing whom). Other extras are an enthusiastic commentary track by Moore's former receptionists and interns; good, thoughtful, funny, and provocative interviews with ex-Clinton Press Secretary Joe Lockhart and with film critic Charlie Rose; and a moving return to Littleton, Colorado--home of Columbine High School--to find out what local people thought of the documentary.

A brazen mixture of stand-up comedy, political commentary, CEO confrontations, and shenanigans with Random House tour escorts, The Big One (1997) follows Moore's book tour to promote Downsize This. In cities lik! e Des Moines, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Portland, Moore's li! ghtheart ed-sounding but deeply biting humor speaking before bookstore patrons is juxtaposed with painful-to-watch confrontations with security personnel at companies such as Procter & Gamble and PayDay. Moore speaks clandestinely with Borders employees organizing a union; a woman laid off from Ford attends Moore's Rockford, Illinois, bookstore visit the same day. Though slow in spots, frustrating if not depressing in others, it's intensely funny the rest of the time. The Big One is fundamental viewing.

On the bonus disc is a 13-minute featurette, "39 Cities in 23 Days." On the tour for his book Dude, Where's My Country?, Moore enthralls and amuses enthusiastic college crowds with points about the Bush-Saudi connections, voting machines, and "weapons of mass balloonery."Michael Moore's superb documentary (following in the footsteps of Roger & Me and The Big One) tackles a meaty subject: gun control. Moore skillfully lays out arguments surrounding the i! ssue and short-circuits them all, leaving one impossible question: why do Americans kill each other more often than people in any other democratic nation? Moore focuses his quest around the shootings at Columbine High School and the shooting of one 6-year-old by another near his own hometown of Flint, Michigan. By approaching the headquarters of K-Mart (where the Columbine shooters bought their ammo) and going to Charlton Heston's own home, Moore demands accountability from the forces that support unrestricted gun sales in the U.S. His arguments are conducted with the humor and empathy that have made Moore more than just a gadfly; he's become a genuine voice of reason in a world driven by fear and greed. --Bret FetzerFollowing on the heels of his Palm d'Or winning Fahrenheit 9/11 and his Oscar winning film Bowling for Columbine, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Moore's new documentary sets out to investigate the American healthcare system. Sticking to his tried-and-true o! ne-man approach, Moore sheds light on the complicated medical ! affairs of individuals and local communities.SiCKO is more like a controlled howl of protest than a documentary. Toning down the rhetoric of past efforts--no CEOs, congressmen, or celebrities were accosted in the making of this film--Michael Moore's latest provocation is just as heartfelt, if not more heartbreaking. As he clarifies from the outset, his subject isn't the 45 million Americans without insurance, but those whose coverage has failed to meet their needs. He starts by speaking with patients who've been denied life-saving procedures, like chemotherapy, for the most spurious of reasons. Then he travels to Canada, England, and France to see if socialized medicine is as inefficient as U.S. politicians like to claim--especially those who receive funding from pharmaceutical companies. Moore finds quality care available to all, regardless as to income. He concludes with a stunt that made headlines when he assembles a group of 9/11 rescue workers suffering from a variety of! afflictions. When Moore is informed that detainees at Guantánamo Bay--technically American soil--qualify for universal coverage, he and his companions travel to Cuba to get in on that action. It's a typically grandstanding move on Moore's part. And it proves remarkably effective when these altruistic individuals, who've either been denied treatment or forced to pay outrageous costs for their medication, experience a dramatically different system. Nine years in the making, SiCKO makes a persuasive case that it's time for America to catch up with the rest of the world. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse Poster Spanish 27x40 Jean Reno Beno?t Magimel

• Approx. Size: 27 x 40 Inches - 69cm x 102cm
• Size is provided by the manufacturer and may not be exact
• The Amazon image in this listing is a digital scan of the poster that you will receive
• Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse Spanish Style A 27 x 40 Inches Poster
• Packaged with care and shipped in sturdy reinforced packing material

Jean Reno is back in action as Commissioner Niemans. The body he found in a monastery seems to point to a ritualistic sacrifice and a portent of something strange to come. At the same time, young police captain Reda finds a man in agony who's an exact DNA match for Christ. Reda quickly finds out his case is directly linked to Niemans, but is the Apocalypse really about to begin as all signs seem to indicate?French sensation The Crimson Rivers was a serial killer thriller with a difference--it was genuinely t! hrilling. It was also pretty disturbing, but Jean Reno (The Professional) brought some light to the darkness with his sly performance as dog-phobic detective Niémans. Fortunately, Reno has returned in this highly stylized Luc Besson-penned sequel. Vincent Cassell has not, but Benoît Magimel (The Piano Teacher), as new partner Reda, makes for a decent replacement. Alas, Olivier Dahan isn't in the same league as Matthieu Kassovitz and the story line, which has something to do with the Last Supper, the Maginot Line, and gravity-defying killer monks, is even more convoluted than before. Then there's Johnny Hallyday (The Man on the Train) as a mysterious one-eyed man and Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings) as a bad German dude. It's all a little ridiculous, but entertaining nonetheless, and the chase sequences are a treat. --Kathleen C. FennessyCrimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse reproduction poster print

Pop Culture Graphi! cs, Inc is Amazon's largest source for movie and TV show memor! abilia, poster and more: Offering tens of thousands of items to choose from. We also offer a full selection of framed posters..

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Walk All Over Me

• A dangerously deviant ride that will leave you begging for more! Latex and larceny meet in this sexy thriller about Alberta (Leelee Sobieski, Eyes Wide Shut), a small-town screw-up who escapes to Canada only to move in with a beautiful but tough dominatrix. Secretly taking on her roommate's identity, Alberta gets caught between half a million stolen dollars and the brutal thugs who want it

If you've forgotten what it's like to be fifteen, it all comes crashing back in this wonderfully edge look at the relationship between a sensitive, vulnerable young girl named Claude and her beautiful, quick-witted best friend Ellen.This gritty 1997 film marks the merging of several budding talents: sisters Sylvia and Alex Sichel, who serve as writer and director, and actors Alison Folland (To Die For), Tara Subkoff, and Murmurs singer Leisha Hailey. The idea behind the movie was the Sichels' awe at! ever having survived being teenage girls in the big city.

All Over Me is about Claude (Folland) a shy, overweight teen who works in a pizza parlor after school and is secretly in love with her best friend Ellen (Subkoff). But Ellen is far ahead of Claude in development. She has an older boyfriend, and she harbors a bad case of destructive self-loathing that erupts frequently and with a fury. But All Over Me isn't just a teenage cautionary or coming-out tale. It's as much a story of New York and its unbearably long, hot summers as it is the downtown music scene or teenage dreams and struggles with adult issues. More than that, it's a well-made film that has its own rhythm, working slowly to give us insight into the girls' natures. It succeeds admirably in taking us back to that age when everything seemed possible despite the dangers of the city closing in. Growing up has never felt as close to home or as scarily realistic. --Paula NechakWhen a sou! ndtrack is done exactly right, the music captures the film's m! ood, bot h before and after the movie. All Over Me's soundtrack is just that kind of collection. The film about a young girl's tender and troubled coming out process in the unforgiving streets of New York City's Hell's Kitchen districts, finds the lead actress (Alison Folland)'s many moods surrounded and enhanced by the brilliant Geraldine Fibbers' "Dragon Lady", the desperate "Descent" by relative unknowns Remy Zero, and a handful of riot grrl favorites including Sleater-Kinney's "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" and Ani DiFranco's "Shy". The perfect emo-mix of music, All Over Me is exactly balanced between artists you know and love and artists you will grow to love. --Denise SheppardThis gritty 1997 film marks the merging of several budding talents: sisters Sylvia and Alex Sichel, who serve as writer and director, and actors Alison Folland (To Die For), Tara Subkoff, and Murmurs singer Leisha Hailey. The idea behind the movie was the Sichels' awe at ever ha! ving survived being teenage girls in the big city.

All Over Me is about Claude (Folland) a shy, overweight teen who works in a pizza parlor after school and is secretly in love with her best friend Ellen (Subkoff). But Ellen is far ahead of Claude in development. She has an older boyfriend, and she harbors a bad case of destructive self-loathing that erupts frequently and with a fury. But All Over Me isn't just a teenage cautionary or coming-out tale. It's as much a story of New York and its unbearably long, hot summers as it is the downtown music scene or teenage dreams and struggles with adult issues. More than that, it's a well-made film that has its own rhythm, working slowly to give us insight into the girls' natures. It succeeds admirably in taking us back to that age when everything seemed possible despite the dangers of the city closing in. Growing up has never felt as close to home or as scarily realistic. --Paula NechakLatex and larceny ! meet in this sexy thriller about Alberta (Leelee Sobieski, Eye! s Wide S hut), a small-town screw-up who escapes to Canada only to move in with a beautiful but tough dominatrix. Secretly taking on her roommate s identity, Alberta gets caught between half a million stolen dollars and the brutal thugs who want it back.

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Chicken Run

• Special Edition
• From the Creators for Wallace and Gromit

Having been hopelessly repressed and facing eventual certain death at the chicken farm where they are held, Rocky the rooster and Ginger the chicken decide to rebel against the evil Mr. and Ms. Tweedy, the farm's owners. Rocky and Ginger lead their fellow chickens in a great escape from the murderous farmers and their farm of doom. --Written by Cory BoothThere were a lot of disappointments in the 2000 summer movie season, but Chicken Run wasn't one of them. Made by Aardman Animations, which produced the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit shorts, this is a dazzling stop-motion animation film that is both deftly funny and surprisingly touching. The concept is simple: The Great Escape--with chickens. But directors Peter Lord and Nick Park take it much further than that (and remember: there's a whole generation out there t! hat has no idea who Steve McQueen is). Julia Sawalha voices Ginger, a plucky English hen who has been trying to escape from Tweedy's chicken farm, where the vicious Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) fries up any chicken who doesn't produce enough eggs. When egg profits slump, Mrs. Tweedy decides to turn her farm into a chicken-pie factory, giving new urgency to Ginger's plan. Enter Rocky the Flying Rooster (Mel Gibson), a brash American who has escaped from a circus and promises to teach the chickens to fly to safety. The film is filled with innumerable visual touches and the animation has a tactile quality that makes you want to reach out and touch these funny fowl. Above all, it's played with intelligence, wit, and heart--a rare combination in any film. While Chicken Run is being marketed to a youth audience, it truly is a family film that operates on both a child and an adult level. It would be a shame if grownups skipped it because they thought it was strictly fo! r kids. --Marshall Fine

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Back to Black

• Condition: Used - Very Good

FADE TO BLACK takes a look at the rapper’s career, providing a backstage glimpse during the concert and showing how his last album was conceived. Narrated by Jay-Z himself, the film features notable guest performances by Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Pharrell Williams, Foxy Brown and appearances by P. Diddy and 2004 Grammy-winner Kanye West.Fade to Black is a document of Jay-Z’s self-proclaimed final concert; a grand affair that took place before a sold-out crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden in November 2003. (But anyone who follows celebrity news knows that Jay-Z was out of retirement and back performing at the Garden just a year later.) Fade to Black is a legitimately powerful record of a truly historic event in the annals of rap. Muttering offhand narration with typical bored, streetwise affect, Jay hails the concer! t as a momentous occasion for being the first time a hip-hop show was allowed to headline at the Garden.

It’s unlikely that the full impact of the live performances will hit home to viewers unfamiliar with Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella Records stable of artists. Another frustration is trying to identify the array of visitors who trade raps on Jay’s stage. Included in the star-studded lineup are Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Pharell, Ghostface Killah, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and R. Kelly. One unmistakable figure--and we do mean figure--is Jay’s squeeze Beyonce, who raises the temperature and the roof with her skimpy outfit, flowing hair, soulful yowl, and sexed-up dance routine that leaves her boyfriend and the whole of Madison Square Garden slack-jawed with animal desire.

Twenty cameras captured the event, and some of the most powerful sequences are sweeping moves across the swirling, blissed-out masses as they lip sync along in perfect unison with Jay-Z’s com! plex, profane, quick-witted raps. Less effective are intermitt! ent cuta way segments that show the artist in various studio settings working up beats and rhymes. These amateurish home video breaks may give some insight to Jay’s perfectionism and dedication to his craft, but they detract from the visceral power of the beautifully executed performance footage. --Ted FryA mysterious figure has broken into Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s laboratory in the Seireitei. Using a scythe-like weapon, the intruder causes Mayuri to go mad and destroy his own lab equipment. Kenpachi rushes to the laboratory as the Seireitei becomes engulfed in a cloud of reishi. When Kenpachi arrives he is greeted by an even greater explosion of reishi that completely devastates the Seiretei. Rukia witnesses this catastrophe from a distance, when the two intruders approach her and use the same scythe that drove Mayuri mad. The intruders then abduct Rukia as she feels something inside of her fade away. Meanwhile, in the World of the Living, Ichigo and Kon experience a strange d! isturbance and head to Kisuke Urahara’s shop for some answers. When Kisuke informs them about the destruction of the Seireitei, the two set out for the Soul Society. What awaits Ichigo in the devastated Seireitei, however, are Soul Reapers who seem to have lost all memory related to both him and Rukia. To make matters worse, the Soul Reapers witness Ichigo’s Hollowfication and suspect him of being the one responsible for the Seireitei’s destruction. Now on the run, Ichigo is forced into a lonely battle against the Soul Reapers who once fought alongside him. Overcoming countless obstacles, Ichigo finally finds Rukia, only to learn she is not herself. Ichigo must find out what happened to Rukia and try to save her before the two are forced to part ways forever!Director Noriyuki Abe and his artists pull out all the stops in Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black (2008), the most dramatic and satisfying of the theatrical features based on Tite Kubo's best-selling manga. A! mistake in Captain Mayuri's research unleashes an explosion o! f serpen tine creatures that bury a third of the Seireitei in a whitish gunk that imprisons anyone caught in it. An eerie-looking girl and a gaunt young man with a scythe capture Rukia, declaring they will destroy her memory so she can stay with them forever. Their power not only erases Rukia's memory, but makes everyone else forget she ever existed. Even Ichigo forgets her, until recollections of their first adventures trouble his dreams. Ichigo charges to the rescue, only to discover that no one in the Seireitei remembers him either--not even his close friends Renji and Hitsugaya. The ultimate source of all the trouble is a parasitic Hollow with a scythe-like tentacle that can sever memories. But Ichigo knows that friendship and loyalty transcend any obstacle a Hollow can create. His courage and unbreakable bonds with Renji, Hitsugaya, Uruhara, and especially Rukia triumph over the sinister Hollow and its wraith-like slaves. Fade to Black boasts a stronger emotional punch th! an the first feature, Memories of Nobody, and more spectacular battles than the second, Diamond Dust Rebellion. The result is a high-energy yet moving film that will delight fans of the long-running Bleach series. (Rated "Teen," suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery) --Charles SolomonA mysterious figure has broken into Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s laboratory in the Seireitei. Using a scythe-like weapon, the intruder causes Mayuri to go mad and destroy his own lab equipment. Kenpachi rushes to the laboratory as the Seireitei becomes engulfed in a cloud of reishi. When Kenpachi arrives he is greeted by an even greater explosion of reishi that completely devastates the Seiretei. Rukia witnesses this catastrophe from a distance, when the two intruders approach her and use the same scythe that drove Mayuri mad. The intruders then abduct Rukia as she feels something inside of her fade away. Meanwhile, in the World of the Living, Ichigo a! nd Kon experience a strange disturbance and head to Kisuke Ura! hara’s shop for some answers. When Kisuke informs them about the destruction of the Seireitei, the two set out for the Soul Society. What awaits Ichigo in the devastated Seireitei, however, are Soul Reapers who seem to have lost all memory related to both him and Rukia. To make matters worse, the Soul Reapers witness Ichigo’s Hollowfication and suspect him of being the one responsible for the Seireitei’s destruction. Now on the run, Ichigo is forced into a lonely battle against the Soul Reapers who once fought alongside him. Overcoming countless obstacles, Ichigo finally finds Rukia, only to learn she is not herself. Ichigo must find out what happened to Rukia and try to save her before the two are forced to part ways forever!Director Noriyuki Abe and his artists pull out all the stops in Bleach the Movie: Fade to Black (2008), the most dramatic and satisfying of the theatrical features based on Tite Kubo's best-selling manga. A mistake in Captain Mayuri's research unle! ashes an explosion of serpentine creatures that bury a third of the Seireitei in a whitish gunk that imprisons anyone caught in it. An eerie-looking girl and a gaunt young man with a scythe capture Rukia, declaring they will destroy her memory so she can stay with them forever. Their power not only erases Rukia's memory, but makes everyone else forget she ever existed. Even Ichigo forgets her, until recollections of their first adventures trouble his dreams. Ichigo charges to the rescue, only to discover that no one in the Seireitei remembers him either--not even his close friends Renji and Hitsugaya. The ultimate source of all the trouble is a parasitic Hollow with a scythe-like tentacle that can sever memories. But Ichigo knows that friendship and loyalty transcend any obstacle a Hollow can create. His courage and unbreakable bonds with Renji, Hitsugaya, Uruhara, and especially Rukia triumph over the sinister Hollow and its wraith-like slaves. Fade to Black boasts ! a stronger emotional punch than the first feature, Memories! of Nobo dy, and more spectacular battles than the second, Diamond Dust Rebellion. The result is a high-energy yet moving film that will delight fans of the long-running Bleach series. (Rated "Teen," suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery) --Charles Solomon"I'm Jarret. Cody Jarret, understand?!" snarls Dennis Christopher (Breaking Away) in his best James Cagney. OK, he's no Rich Little, but as the movie-mad social misfit Eric Binford he makes a convincing media-saturated Norman Bates, and for a while his geeky fumblings and wounded vulnerability keep the film on track. He is a gofer for a B-movie studio, constantly bullied by his tough-guy coworker Mickey Rourke and his aunt, a bitter wheelchair-bound failed starlet who blames the boy for her misfortunes and never lets him forget it. His sanity already precariously close to the edge, he flares up and becomes Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death, shoving dear auntie down the back! stairs and forever losing himself in the characters of his favorite movies. It's the first of many movie-inspired murders, but the gimmick becomes repetitive and the film loses its focus in series of pre-Scream set pieces. Better is Eric's deluded romance with an Aussie Marilyn Monroe look-a-like. It's hard to understand what she sees in this jittery nerd who rattles off meaningless movie trivia like it was the meaning of life, but give Eric credit for wooing her as Laurence Olivier in The Prince and the Showgirl. Tim Thomerson gets to play both tough guy and sensitive social worker as the counselor who utters the immortal line: "Binford's not to blame, he's a victim of society!" --Sean AxmakerDanny Huston (Robin Hood, Clash of the Titans) stars with Oscar®-winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter) in this twisting mystery-thriller of intrigue, seduction and murder. Arriving in post-WWII Rome to re-kindle his failing career, movie star and director ! Orson Welles is immediately captivated by a ravishing young ac! tress (P az Vega, Spanglish). But when her stepfather is killed by an unknown assassin, Welles and his street-wise Italian driver/bodyguard (Diego Luna, The Terminal) are plunged into Rome’s chaotic criminal underworld, where nothing is what it seems, no one can be trusted and the truth…is the deadliest illusion of all.Japanese only SHM pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. Universal. 2009.Don't let that classical-guitar-ish opening to "Fight Fire with Fire" fool you--Ride the Lightning packs a heavy-metal wallop. While not as ambitious! as the subsequent Master of Puppets, this early Metallica album is indubitably one of their best. Thematically, it explores death and dying from myriad points of view: nuclear war ("Fight Fire with Fire"), electric-chair execution (the title track), and drowning ("Trapped Under Ice"). Interestingly, the best track on this album is probably "Fade to Black," a slower, more introspective song about suicide. There's also "Creeping Death," which remains a concert favorite. An excellent mix of rapid-fire guitar riffs, rip-roaring solos, and singer James Hetfield's trademark growl, this is thrash metal at its finest. Very highly recommended. --Genevieve WilliamsDon't let that classical-guitar-ish opening to "Fight Fire with Fire" fool you--Ride the Lightning packs a heavy-metal wallop. While not as ambitious as the subsequent Master of Puppets, this early Metallica album is indubitably one of their best. Thematically, it explores death and dying from m! yriad points of view: nuclear war ("Fight Fire with Fire"), ex! ecution by electric chair (the title track), and drowning ("Trapped Under Ice"). Interestingly, the album's best track is "Fade to Black," a slower, introspective song about suicide. There's also "Creeping Death," which remains a concert favorite. An excellent mix of rapid-fire guitar riffs, rip-roaring solos, and singer James Hetfield's trademark growl, this is thrash metal at its finest. -- Genevieve Williams "I'm Jarret. Cody Jarret, understand?!" snarls Dennis Christopher (Breaking Away) in his best James Cagney. OK, he's no Rich Little, but as the movie-mad social misfit Eric Binford he makes a convincing media-saturated Norman Bates, and for a while his geeky fumblings and wounded vulnerability keep the film on track. He is a gofer for a B-movie studio, constantly bullied by his tough-guy coworker Mickey Rourke and his aunt, a bitter wheelchair-bound failed starlet who blames the boy for her misfortunes and never lets him forget it. His sanity already precariousl! y close to the edge, he flares up and becomes Richard Widmark in Kiss of Death, shoving dear auntie down the back stairs and forever losing himself in the characters of his favorite movies. It's the first of many movie-inspired murders, but the gimmick becomes repetitive and the film loses its focus in series of pre-Scream set pieces. Better is Eric's deluded romance with an Aussie Marilyn Monroe look-a-like. It's hard to understand what she sees in this jittery nerd who rattles off meaningless movie trivia like it was the meaning of life, but give Eric credit for wooing her as Laurence Olivier in The Prince and the Showgirl. Tim Thomerson gets to play both tough guy and sensitive social worker as the counselor who utters the immortal line: "Binford's not to blame, he's a victim of society!" --Sean AxmakerFade to Black is the debut novel by award-winning short fiction writer and journalist Morgan Kearns. It is a tempestuous and witty love story, ! complete with dangerous twists and turns that keep the reader ! guessing until the very last page. Kate Callahan is a news reporter in Salt Lake City whose life seems to be perfect. Her attentive boyfriend, Jesse Vasquez, is determined to prove his love for her. But the day she steps through the doors of KHB as their newest reporter and meets photographer Rich Spencer, everything changes. There is something about the way he caresses her with his eyes, speaks to her without saying a word, and lights her skin aflame with a simple touch that makes her rethink everything she’s ever known. Ultimately, she is faced with an impossible choiceâ€"one that tears her heart in twoâ€"which becomes excruciating when fate steps in and decides for her. Walking along a mountain of heartache and regret, Kate struggles to find a world where love does conquer all.US version includes one exclusive 'hidden' bonus track, 'You Know I'm No Good' (featuring Ghostface Killah). 'Back To Black' is the second album from London-based chanteuse Amy Winehouse. Although her 200! 3 debut was a success, her rowdy offstage behavior became the focus of tabloids and critics instead of the music. Because of this, Winehouse stepped out of the spotlight and concentrated on putting the focus back on her music. Three years later, her sophomore release has surprised critics and excited her fanbase. Combining a strong, Jazzy vocal style with often frank lyrical content recounting tales of love and loss, Winehouse is a truly talented songwriter with a good ear for melody, making this album an essential purchase. Includes the single 'Rehab'. Universal. 2007.Amy Winehouse's second album, Back to Black, is one of the finest soul albums, British or otherwise, to come out for years. Frank, her first album, was a sparse and stripped-down affair; Back to Black, meanwhile, is neither of these things. This time around, she's taken her inspiration from some of the classic 1960's girl groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las, a sound particularly! suited to her textured vocal delivery, while adding a contemp! orary so ngwriting sensibility. With the help of producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, "Rehab" becomes a gospel-tinged stomp, while the title track (and album highlight) is a heartbreaking musical tribute to Phil Spector, with it's echoey bass drum, rhythmic piano, chimes, saxophone and close harmonies. Best of all, though, is the fact that Back to Black bucks the current trend in R&B by being unabashedly grown-up in both style and content. Winehouse's lyrics deal with relationships from a grown-up perspective, and are honest, direct and, often, complicated: on "You Know I'm No Good", she's unapologetic about her unfaithfulness. But she can also be witty, as on "Me & Mrs Jones" when she berates a boyfriend with "You made me miss the Slick Rick gig". Back to Black is a refreshingly mature soul album, the best of its kind for years. --Ted Kord

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