About this product: Media madness reigns supreme in screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's scathing satire about the uses and abuses of network television. But while Chayefsky's and director Sidney Lumet's take on television may seem quaint in the age of "reality TV" and Jerry Springer's talk-show fisticuffs, it's every bit as potent now as it was when the film was released in 1976. And because Chayefsky was one of the greatest of all dramatists, his Oscar-winning script about the ratings frenzy at the cost of cultural integrity is a showcase for powerhouse acting by Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight (who each won Oscars), and Oscar nominee William Holden in one of his finest roles. Finch plays a veteran network anchorman who's been fired because of low ratings. His character's response is to announce he'll kill himself on live television two weeks hence. What follows, along with skyrocketing ratings, is the anchorman's descent into insanity, during which he fervently rages against the medium that made him a celebrity. Dunaway plays the frigid, ratings-obsessed producer who pursues success with cold-blooded zeal; Holden is the married executive who tries to thaw her out during his own seething midlife crisis. Through it all, Chayefsky (via Finch) urges the viewer to repeat the now-famous mantra "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" to reclaim our humanity from the medium that threatens to steal it away. --Jeff Shannon
About this product: Media madness reigns supreme in screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky's scathing satire about the uses and abuses of network television. But while Chayefsky's and director Sidney Lumet's take on television may seem quaint in the age of "reality TV" and Jerry Springer's talk-show fisticuffs, it's every bit as potent now as it was when the film was released in 1976. And because Chayefsky was one of the greatest of all dramatists, his Oscar-winning script about the ratings frenzy at the cost of cultural integrity is a showcase for powerhouse acting by Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight (who each won Oscars), and Oscar nominee William Holden in one of his finest roles. Finch plays a veteran network anchorman who's been fired because of low ratings. His character's response is to announce he'll kill himself on live television two weeks hence. What follows, along with skyrocketing ratings, is the anchorman's descent into insanity, during which he fervently rages against the medium that made him a celebrity. Dunaway plays the frigid, ratings-obsessed producer who pursues success with cold-blooded zeal; Holden is the married executive who tries to thaw her out during his own seething midlife crisis. Through it all, Chayefsky (via Finch) urges the viewer to repeat the now-famous mantra "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" to reclaim our humanity from the medium that threatens to steal it away. --Jeff Shannon
About this product: For some kitchen inspiration, these Meals on DVD will guide you through your favorite Food Network recipes with celebrity chefs. A shopping list is provided on the back of packaging so you can conveniently shop for ingredients and create these dishes at home. Meals on DVD: Shop, Watch, Cook!
Recipes include: The Baked Potato Crunchy Noodle Salad Herb Potato Salad Bruschetta with Sauteed Sweet Peppers and Creamy Gorgonzola Potato / Portobello Gratin
About this product: Gohan is kidnapped by mysterious warriors! As Goku rushes to save his son, it is revealed that the kidnappers are henchmen for Garlic Jr. who is trying to gather the seven Dragon Balls to realize his wish - immortality. Once immortal, Garlic Jr. intends to control the whole world with his evil power and seek revenge upon the human race and Kami for the death of his father. Unfortunately, Goku arrives at Garlic Jr.'s fortress just has Garlic Jr. summons the Eternal Dragon! Joined by Krillin and Piccolo, Goku challenges Garlic Jr., but Garlic Jr.'s power is too strong. He creates a "dead zone" (a black hole) to vacuum up our heroes, but suddenly, Gohan starts showing his hidden power! Includes dialogue in English and Japanese, and includes English subtitles.
About this product: 'Tis the season to be quirky in this aptly named collection of animated Yuletide Follies from the Cartoon Network. There are plenty of favorites here to please fans, such as The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, a tale of woe when winter camp is visited by the sinister Son of Negral, who turns campers into ice sculptures. Equally chilly is Ed, Edd 'n Eddy, the series that stars a trio of tricksters who, in this case, bring Christmas to the cul-de-sac complete with presents and pranks. Girl power reigns when the Powerpuff Girls combat crime in the city of Townsville as Blossom uses her newly acquired ice breath to cool things off a bit. And don't miss the tongue-in-cheek junkyard romp as Courage, the Cowardly Dog, battles a duo of menacing mice, accompanied by a nostalgic rendition of The Nutcracker. Not for the faint of heart, this 60-minute revelry includes nine offbeat tales of irreverent holiday mirth. (Ages 8 and older) --Lynn Gibson
About this product: Volume 2 of a collection of holiday episodes from popular Cartoon Network properties. Episodes include Johnny Bravo: Twas the Night, Courage: The Snowman Cometh, Dexter: Dexter vs. Santa's Claws, I AM WEASEL: Happy Baboon Holidays, Ed Edd n Eddy: Jingle Jingle Jangle, Powerpuff Girls: Mime for a Change, Billy & Mandy: Battle of the Bands, and Codename: Kids Next Door Operation P.I.A.N.O.
About this product: An odd but sweet and frequently funny animated series, Chowder is the brainchild of writer and artist C.H. Greenblatt, whose previous credits, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (among others), are echoed by the surreal goings-on in this program. Set in the bustling metropolis of Marzipan City, Chowder follows the adventures of its eponymous hero (voiced by Nicky Jones), an excitable young creature whose impulsive nature often gets in the way of his abiding dream: to learn the art of cooking from his employer, master chef Mung Daal (Dwight Schultz). Episodes generally follow Chowder's sincere attempts to please Mung, which range from thumb-wrestling a complicated dish into submission ("The Froggy Apple Crumple Thumpkin") to staying up all night to complete a recipe ("The Sing Beans"); others focus on his equally odd friends and fellow employees, like his gaseous pet Kimchi, who falls in love with a odiferous meal in "Stinky Love," or the rabbit-like Panini, who harbors a crush on Chowder in "Chowder's Girlfriend." More often than not, the show veers into genuinely dream-like territory, as in "The Thrice Cream Man," where Chowder becomes obsessed with a creature made from a sweet dessert. As novel premises and execution goes, Chowder compares favorably to Greenblatt's other animation credits, though one wonders if he'll be able to maintain the off-kilter charm of the ten episodes included in this disc over the course of multiple seasons; the engaging weirdness of the characters and stories certainly makes one hope he can. All of the episodes mentioned here are included in the single disc, along with five other stories (not shown in their original broadcast order), which makes for only half of the first season's episodes; given their short running time (about 10 minutes), one wonders why the entire season couldn't have been packaged in this set. Also, a glimpse into the Greenblatt's creative process would have been welcomed by fans and first-time viewers alike, but the sole extra is a storyboard comparision. -- Paul Gaita
About this product: Get ready for a grossly ghoulish time with Cartoon Network's all-new Halloween DVD! Whether it's sticky-bearded pirates, angry cookie-baking mummies, or chili-borne methane mosnters that pack a powerful stench, there's enough festering fun here to keep you laughing all the way to the grave! 5 Halloween episodes plus 4 bonus toons: Billy & Mandy: Night of the Living Grim, Courage: Courage Meets the Mummy, Courage: Night of the Weremole, KND: Operation TRICKY, Johnny Bravo: Frankenbravo, Dexter's Laboratory: Dee Dee's Room, Powerpuff Girls: Reeking Havoc, I AM WEASEL: The Power of Odor, Ed Edd n' Eddy: Honor Thy Ed.
About this product: Nine original Cartoon Network episodes, including The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Ed, Edd 'n Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Cow & Chicken, I A.M. Weasel, Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, and Johnny Bravo.
DVD
