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This exciting game presents a fun and educational approach ... Read more

This exciting game presents a fun and educational approach to grocery shopping that can be adapted to fit different levels and abilities. The goods on the included shopping lists and game board can be used for matching or can be sorted into categories. More advanced players can apply basic math skills to add up their lists, give discounts and apply coupons. This is a great tool for reinforcing daily living skills and independence, as players learn all about what to expect at the supermarket. Minimize

In his "Lives of the Artists", Vasari wrote: "While we may ... Read more

In his "Lives of the Artists", Vasari wrote: "While we may term other works paintings, those of Raphael are living things, the flesh palpitates, the breath comes and goes, every organ lives, life pulsates everywhere." In this extensively illustrated book featuring some 300 illustrations, the author takes a critical look at the life and work of Rafaello Sanzio, or as he signed certain paintings, Raphael Urbinas, in homage to his native city of Urbino. Described as "an artist touched by grace," he is considered, along with Michelangelo and Leonardo, to be one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance. Raphael (1483-1520), whose birth and death were on a Good Friday, belonged to a family of merchants; aside from his training in the studio of Perugino, little is known about his earliest years. He arrived in Florence in 1504, where he studied the masters and produced magnificent paintings of the Madonna, as well as remarkable portraits. In 1508 he went to Rome, where he died a dozen years later at the height of his powers, after creating monumental works at the Vatican. De Vecchi re-examines the scholarship surrounding each of the major periods of Raphael's short career, dispelling the myths about him that have accumulated over the centuries. He reminds us that the most "profound" element of Raphael's art was his striving to express the dialectic between earthly and heavenly love, an important concern of his contemporaries. The coverage of the text extends beyond the paintings to Raphael's significant work as an architect and designer of interiors. Minimize

When he was born, Michelangelo Buonarroti was put into the ... Read more

When he was born, Michelangelo Buonarroti was put into the care of a stonecutter's family. He often said it was from them that he got his love of sculpture. It certainly didn't come from his own father, a respectable magistrate who beat his son when he asked to become an artists apprentice.But Michelangelo persevered. His early sculptures caught the attention of Florence's great ruler, Lorenzo de' Medici, who invited the boy to be educated with his own sons. Soon after, Michelangelo was astonishing people with the lifelike creations he wrested from marble--from the heartbreaking Pieta he sculpted when he was only twenty-five to the majestic David that brought him acclaim as the greatest sculptor in Italy.Michelangelo had a turbulent, quarrelsome life. He was obsessed with perfection and felt that everyone--from family members to his demanding patrons--took advantage and let him down. His long and difficult association with Pope Julius II yielded his greatest masterpiece, the radiant paintings in the Sistine Chapel, and his most disastrous undertaking, the monumental tomb that caused the artist frustration and heartache for forty years.With her thoroughly researched, lively narrative and superbly detailed illustrations, Diane Stanley has captured the life of an artist who towered above the late Renaissance--and whose brilliance in architecture, painting, and sculpture amazes and moves us to this day.Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib., Books for Youth Editor's Choice 2000 (Booklist), Lasting Connections 2000 (Book Links), Best Books 2000 (School Library Journal), Top 10 Youth Art Books 2000 (Booklist), and Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council Minimize

Penny Panda provides lots of practice in counting money. Fo ... Read more

Penny Panda provides lots of practice in counting money. Four main activities help children with counting a given amount, comparing amounts, presenting money to match a specific sum, and determining change accurately. Program Options: Choose to present activities in either English or Spanish. For each of the 4 activities, Count, Compare, Pay Exact Amount, and How Much Change?... select one of 24 levels beginning as simple as Pennies to 10 cents, Pennies to 20 cents, Dimes to 50 cents,... working up through Quarters, Dimes, Nickels, and Pennies to $1.00... and culminating with inclusion of $5 bill, $1 Bills, Quarters, Dimes, Nickels, and Pennies up to $10. Teachers may have students remain at the selected level, or advance automatically through each level based on your defined competency setting of a given percentage correct for N problems. An added option allows teachers to include the newer coin faces for quarters and nickels along with the older, more standard ones. Minimize

When Alija Osmanovic, a Bosnian war orphan who is the prota ... Read more

When Alija Osmanovic, a Bosnian war orphan who is the protagonist of Knife, goes in search of the identity of his murdered birth-parents, a sense of thwarted justice motivates him, and expresses itself as burning passion for revenge. This is summed up by the novel's title. The opening chapter describes the massacre of a Serbian village by Muslim Ustase on Christmas Day (January 7) of 1942. The sole survivor is a newborn male infant, spared at the last moment and given to a Muslim woman who lost her husband in the raid. The boy is named Alija, and is raised as a Muslim, and later comes to believe that his family was killed by Serbs. Twenty-one years later, Alija, now a medical student in Sarajevo, discovers that the newspapers are interested in his story. An article about him is published in a Sarajevo daily, and he begins receiving mail. Most of it is sympathetic but unhelpful, although he does receive an enigmatic letter which reads: You are certainly not what you are, nevertheless, you are what you are not. Alija seeks out Sikter Effendi, an eccentric and reclusive Muslim cleric, to help him interpret the enigma. Sikter Effendi, an irascible outsider, is, nevertheless, considered to be honest, because he has suffered at the hands of each regime: Ustase as well as Communist. He has responded by developing a fine sense of disgust for the human race, and he steeps himself in history, trying to untangle the threads of misfortune. But when Alija enters the Effendi s life, a transformation occurs. Sikter Effendi finds a spiritual heir. Through Sikter Effendi s mentorship, Alija discovers the truth: that his heritage is Serbian; that he was born not far away but in the neighboring village; and that his adoptive family was guilty of murdering his birth-family. A crisis of identity ensues. Each possible course of action open to him is bad. How is he to go on? Minimize

The Bronsons were the first Jews to ever live in the small ... Read more

The Bronsons were the first Jews to ever live in the small town of Concordia, Tennessee-a town consisting of one main street, one bank, one drugstore, one picture show, one feed and seed, one hardware store, one beauty parlor, one barber shop, one blacksmith, and many Christian churches. That didn't stop Aaron Bronson, a Russian immigrant, from moving his young family out of New York by horse and wagon and journeying to this remote corner of the South to open a small dry goods store, Bronson's Low-Priced Store. Never mind that he was greeted with "Danged if I ever heard tell of a Jew storekeeper afore." Never mind that all the townspeople were suspicious of any strangers. Never mind that the Klan actively discouraged the presence of outsiders. Aaron Bronson bravely established a business and proved in the process that his family could make a home, and a life, anywhere. With great fondness and a fine dry wit, Stella Suberman tells the story of her family in an account that Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, described as "a gem...Vividly told and captivating in its humanity." Now available for the first time in paperback, here is the book that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said was "forthright. . . . not a revisionist history of Jewish life in the small-town South but . . . written within the context of the 1920s, making it valuable history as well as a moving family story." Minimize

Sort & Store your LEGO bricks. A fast and easy way to Sort ... Read more

Sort & Store your LEGO bricks. A fast and easy way to Sort & Store your Lego bricks! Tip your Lego Bricks into the Sorter. Shake gently and Lego Bricks will sort into small, medium, and large sections. Lift each section to reveal sorted Lego Bricks inside. Built in carry handle. Can hold over a thousand LEGO pieces. LEGO pieces sold separately. Minimize

Would you like to help your child go beyond singing the ABC ... Read more

Would you like to help your child go beyond singing the ABC song? When your child is three or four years old or whenever they are starting to realize that letters have names and sounds there is so much discovery! Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K helps you as a parent do more than just pass on a love of reading. We make it easy for you to play a role in helping your child understand the building blocks to reading itself all while having fun together! (And we ve got a new ABC song that solves the L-M-N-O-P problem...)Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K is based on research, approved by the Children's Reading Foundation and designed in conjunction with leading educators, renowned authors and most important, parents. Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K uses engaging phonics-based activities, music videos, and online games to give your child a strong foundation in phonemic awareness. Each unit concludes with a storybook you read to your child, specially written to support what your child just learned. Each lesson takes only about 20 minutes a day. Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K covers letter names, letter sounds, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and blending sounds. Learn to Read Pre-K includes: 6 original storybooks written to promote the skills your child learns in the program, including 2 books by the award-winning children s book author and illustrator, David McPhail2 reading workbooks that will guide you and your child through all of the lessons and many fun activities2 DVDs filled with music videos and engaging, animated introductions to each lesson, where letters come to life2 sets of stickers so a child can proudly mark their progress in the workbooks and celebrate their success4 sets of letter and picture flashcards designed to reinforce letter names and letter soundsQuick Start Guides1 bonus Reading Rainbow DVD, Stellaluna, exclusive to Amazon customers Now featuring a free online Learn to Read experience - In addition to what's in the box, Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read Pre-K now offers unique online components to deliver a rich, multisensory learning experience for your child. Each level of Learn to Read comes with a serial number that lets you sign up for free online content. Simply register and you will be able to access online games, downloadable content, printables, and custom book recommendations. You will also be able to track your child's progress on their own personalized learning path. Online Games - Simple and engaging online games designed specifically to reinforce the subject matter your child has just completed in the lesson. Printables - Fun activity sheets you can download and print. Each activity is designed to reinforce the lesson your child has just completed. Custom Book Recommendations - Customized book recommendations specifically tailored to reinforce the unit your child has just completed. All are available for purchase on Amazon.com. Minimize

The title credit for Delicatessen reads "Presented by Terry ... Read more

The title credit for Delicatessen reads "Presented by Terry Gilliam," and it's easy to understand why the director of Brazil was so supportive of this outrageously black French comedy from 1991. Like Gilliam, French codirectors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro have wildly inventive imaginations that gravitate to the darker absurdities of human behavior, and their visual extravagance is matched by impressive technical skill. Here, making their feature debut, Jeunet and Caro present a postapocalyptic scenario set entirely in a dank and gloomy building where the landlord operates a delicatessen on the ground floor. But this is an altogether meatless world, so the butcher-landlord keeps his customers happy by chopping unsuspecting victims into cutlets, and he's sharpening his knife for a new tenant (French comic actor Dominque Pinon) who's got the hots for the butcher's nearsighted daughter! Delicatessen is a feast (if you will) of hilarious vignettes, slapstick gags, and sweetly eccentric characters, including a man in a swampy room full of frogs, a woman doggedly determined to commit suicide (she never gets its right), and a pair of brothers who make toy sound boxes that "moo" like cows. It doesn't amount to much as a story, but that hardly matters; this is the kind of comedy that springs from a unique wellspring of imagination and inspiration, and it's handled with such visual virtuosity that you can't help but be mesmerized. There's some priceless comedy happening here, some of which is so inventive that you may feel the urge to stand up and cheer. --Jeff Shannon Minimize

Outdoor Toys by Little TikesFill the backyard with the soun ... Read more

Outdoor Toys by Little TikesFill the backyard with the sound of childhood delight with outdoor toys from Little Tikes. We have outdoor playgrounds and playhouses that combine safety and durability with fun! There are several options for all ages, with or without a swing set. Also take a look at several outdoor picnic tables. Don8217;t forget the Classic Turtle Sandbox 8211; one of our top sellers. Make sure to get your child8217;s outdoor play toys from a trusted toy maker for over 30 years: Little Tikes. Indoor,outdoor table unlocks and folds for portability or storage. Features: Seats up to 6 children. Includes 2 cup-holders and a multi-purpose condiment,crayon tray. (Dishes not included.) Center hole holds a Little Tikes Market Umbrella (sold separately). No tools required for setup or takedown. Ages 2 to 8 years.Toys Made in the USASpecifications:Overall Dimensions: 19"H x 42"W x 39"D Minimize

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help ... Read more

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - For some reason the desert scene before Lucy Bostil awoke varying emotions - a sweet gratitude for the fullness of her life there at the Ford, yet a haunting remorse that she could not be wholly content - a vague loneliness of soul - a thrill and a fear for the strangely calling future, glorious, unknown. She longed for something to happen. It might be terrible, so long as it was wonderful. This day, when Lucy had stolen away on a forbidden horse, she was eighteen years old. The thought of her mother, who had died long ago on their way into this wilderness, was the one drop of sadness in her joy. Lucy loved everybody at Bostil's Ford and everybody loved her. She loved all the horses except her father's favorite racer, that perverse devil of a horse, the great Sage King. Lucy was glowing and rapt with love for all she beheld from her lofty perch: the green-and-pink blossoming hamlet beneath her, set between the beauty of the gray sage expanse and the ghastliness of the barren heights; the swift Colorado sullenly thundering below in the abyss; the Indians in their bright colors, riding up the river trail; the eagle poised like a feather on the air, and a beneath him the grazing cattle making black dots on the sage; the deep velvet azure of the sky; the golden lights on the bare peaks and the lilac veils in the far ravines; the silky rustle of a canyon swallow as he shot downward in the sweep of the wind; the fragrance of cedar, the flowers of the spear-pointed mescal; the brooding silence, the beckoning range, the purple distance. Minimize

Cluzzle is the comical game of Clay Puzzles where players o ... Read more

Cluzzle is the comical game of Clay Puzzles where players outwit their friends through bad sculpting, tricky questions and insightful guessing. The challenge is to create a clay sculpture that others will guess - eventually. The longer it takes for the other players to guess a sculpture correctly, the more points the sculptor receives. Many party games reward players for conveying a concept as quickly as possible, so those with an artistic ability have an advantage, but Cluzzle allows kids to do just as well as their parents, and lets art class drop-outs compete with the local Michelangelo. This fast-paced and entertaining game is fun for everyone.What in the World is a Cluzzle?The Clue is in the Clay!Cluzzle (kluh' zel)1. n. A clay puzzle2. v. To create a hilarious clay puzzles that can't be guessed right away.Cluzzlers (kluh' zel' erz)1. n. People so badat sculpting they might actually be good at this game.Cluzzle is about sculpting, but you don't need artistic ability to be good at this game. Each player sculpts a Cluzzle, then asks questions to figure out what the other Cluzzles are. Players are awarded more points the harder their Cluzzles are to guess, but no points for something that can't be guessed at all. So get your party started with this hilarious game of clay and creativity. Get Cluzzle where the clue is in the clay!Includes:- Personalized Cluzzle Cards created by such wonderful people as Alanis Morissette, Bruce Crapuchettes (the game designers father), and maybe even you!-950 Clay Subjects-High Quality Modeling Clay!! (It doesn't dry out, always soft and easy to mold, and does not stain your hands) Minimize

As the 2005 theatrical release of Serenity made clear, Fire ... Read more

As the 2005 theatrical release of Serenity made clear, Firefly was a science fiction concept that deserved a second chance. Devoted fans (or "Browncoats") knew it all along, and with this well-packaged DVD set, those who missed the show's original broadcasts can see what they missed. Creator Joss Whedon's ambitious science-fiction Western (Whedon's third series after Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) was canceled after only 11 of these 14 episodes had aired on the Fox network, but history has proven that its demise was woefully premature. Whedon's generic hybrid got off to a shaky start when network executives demanded an action-packed one-hour premiere ("The Train Job"); in hindsight the intended two-hour pilot (also titled "Serenity," and oddly enough, the final episode aired) provides a better introduction to the show's concept and splendid ensemble cast. Obsessive fans can debate the quirky logic of combining spaceships with direct parallels to frontier America (it's 500 years in the future, and embattled humankind has expanded into the galaxy, where undeveloped "outer rim" planets struggle with the equivalent of Old West accommodations), but Whedon and his gifted co-writers and directors make it work, at least well enough to fashion a credible context from the incongruous culture-clashing of past, present, and future technologies, along with a polyglot language (the result of two dominant superpowers) that combines English with an abundance of Chinese slang. What makes it work is Whedon's delightfully well-chosen cast and their nine well-developed characters--a typically Whedon-esque extended family--each providing a unique perspective on their adventures aboard Serenity, the junky but beloved "Firefly-class" starship they call home. As a veteran of the disadvantaged Independent faction's war against the all-powerful planetary Alliance (think of it as Underdogs vs. Overlords), Serenity captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) leads his compact crew on a quest for survival. They're renegades with an amoral agenda, taking any job that pays well, but Firefly's complex tapestry of right and wrong (and peace vs. violence) is richer and deeper than it first appears. Tantalizing clues about Blue Sun (an insidious mega-corporation with a mysteriously evil agenda), its ties to the Alliance, and the traumatizing use of Serenity's resident stowaway (Summer Glau) as a guinea pig in the development of advanced warfare were clear indications Firefly was heading for exciting revelations that were precluded by the series' cancellation. Fortunately, the big-screen Serenity (which can be enjoyed independently of the series) ensured that Whedon's wild extraterrestrial west had not seen its final sunset. Its very existence confirms that these 14 episodes (and enjoyable bonus features) will endure as irrefutable proof Fox made a glaring mistake in canceling the series. --Jeff Shannon On the Blu-ray discs Firefly has a picture that's a little softer than most Blu-ray discs (especially in the effects shots), but it is an improvement over the DVDs (even in an upconverting DVD player or Blu-ray player), and the punchy sound (DTS HD 5.1 compared to the DVDs' 2.0 surround) is a definite upgrade. In addition to the original bonus features, there are a couple new ones: a 25-minute conversation among Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Ron Glass, and Alan Tudyk in which they discuss the series and a number of specific episodes (Fillion recalls thinking he was getting fired after the first episode), and a new commentary track by the four fellows on "Our Mrs. Reynolds." And since it's easy to get sucked into watching multiple episodes, it's nice to have a Play All feature on the BDs. --David HoriuchiBeyond Firefly on Blu-ray Stargate: Continuum Blu-ray Sci-Fi Bundle Sunshine Stills from Firefly (Click for larger image) Minimize

Directed by and starring Jackie Chan, and set in 1930s Hong ... Read more

Directed by and starring Jackie Chan, and set in 1930s Hong Kong, Miracles is a gangster film that is equal parts comedy and action film, with a touch of melodrama thrown in for good measure. Chan stars as a young man who rescues a dying crime boss in 1930s Hong Kong. When the boss passes away, he is tapped to become the new leader. He attributes his good luck to an old rose seller and the roses he buys off of her. To pay her back for all of his good fortune, he helps her pretend to be a wealthy socialite, just as she had described herself in letters to her daughter in order to help impress her daughter's wealthy fiancé and not queer their upcoming marriage. The plot is lifted from Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), which Capra remade in 1961 as Pocketful of Miracles. Of course, like all Jackie Chan films, this movie contains more--and more innovative--fight scenes than Capra could ever dream of. Two set pieces in particular are stunning: A big fight in a restaurant and the final battle in the warehouse of a rope factory. Along the way, Chan throws in a musical number inspired by Busby Berkeley and a whole lotta heart, making this a well-rounded and entertaining film, which Chan himself has allegedly referred to as his favorite. --Andy Spletzer Minimize

Format: DVD Jan 1997 Rated PG Recording Mode: (unknown) ... Read more

Format: DVD Jan 1997 Rated PG Recording Mode: (unknown) Sound: THX, HiFi 111 min. Color Movie Description In James Bond's third cinematic adventure, the dangerously suave spy (Sean Connery) must stop the criminal capitalist Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) from contaminating Fort Knox's gold with atomic radiation. Aiding the villain is the alluring Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and the imposing Oddjob (Harold Sakata). Bond, on the other hand, is armed with his trademark charm and, of course, a slew of gadgets, courtesy of Q (Desmond Llewelyn). Encountering the usual bevy of beautiful women and perilous traps, 007 sets out for America to foil Goldfinger's financial fiasco. Based on Ian Fleming's 1959 novel, GOLDFINGER marks the appearance of a more carefree, wisecracking Bond and is widely considered to be one of the best films in the series. In fact, with stylized elements such as the gold-painted girl, the wince-inducing laser beam, Oddjob's razor-sharp bowler hat, and Bond's modified Aston Martin car, the film is quite possibly the most memorable Bond outing, and would be famously parodied decades later in the AUSTIN POWERS series, particularly GOLDMEMBER. Credits Cast: Sean Connery Director: Guy Hamilton Film Notes DVD Features: Region 1 Encoding Keep Case Theatrical release: December 25, 1964. Shot in Technicolor. Minimize

Drums pound, building excitement; the music bursts into lif ... Read more

Drums pound, building excitement; the music bursts into life with a cry of "Stingray! Stingray!" Who can resist? Especially when a dramatic voice announces, "Anything can happen in the next half hour!" Stingray (1964) was the show Gerry Anderson made just before he really hit the big time with Thunderbirds (1965), producing 39 episodes of the 21st-century adventures of Troy Tempest--tall, dark, and handsome (his voice was based on James Garner) captain of the titular submarine. His mission: to protect the seas on behalf of WASP (World Aquanaut Security Patrol). With complex underwater model and puppet effects, this was groundbreaking television, especially as it was the first British series to be made in color, though for years it was seen only in black and white. Special effects director Derek Meddings later graduated to the James Bond movies, while Moneypenny herself (actress Lois Maxwell) voiced Atlanta Shore. Here, just as in the Bond movies, she played second fiddle in our hero's affections, the mute Marina becoming Stingray's sex goddess. The end credits even featured a song in her honor, "Aqua Maria," which became an international hit. As for the bad guys: half-man, half-fish Titan and his Terror Fish wage dastardly war against humanity and the peaceful underwater citizens of Pacifica. Four decades on, the model and underwater sequences still impress, and surely much of the inspiration for the underwater city in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace came from locations in Stingray. Whether as bizarre '60s nostalgia, or winning a new generation of fans, Stingray remains eccentric cult family entertainment. --Gary S. Dalkin Minimize

After terrorizing a convenience store salesgirl with tomato ... Read more

After terrorizing a convenience store salesgirl with tomatoes, three lowlifes on a crime spree hide out at an isolated farmhouse occupied only by teenage Lisa and her pathetically paralyzed grandpa. Bad move, guys, for while Lisa looks innocent enough, she's actually a ticking-time-bomb-of-psychotic-aggression who spends her days killing chickens, feeding raw eggs to her granddad, staring blankly into space, and hallucinating blood on a mirror. So when the three numbskulls add Lisa to their list of people to abuse, she promptly puts an end to their antisocial activities with the help of her two best friends, a straight-edge razor and her handy Axe. Bonus feature: Who shot the Reverend Sam and cut his girlfriend's tongue out? Was it religious fanatic Mose Cooper? Or that idiot Crazy Billy? Whoever it is will end up paying the ultimate price by frying in The Electric Chair (1972, 85 min.), written, produced, and directed by "Axe's" J.G. "Pat" Patterson (who also plays the creepy Cooper), which gleefully details a hot-seat execution; Trailers for this, under the titles Axe, Lisa, Lisa and The Virgin Slaughter, plus trailers for Harry Novak's Behind Locked Doors, Booby Trap, The Child, Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks, Kidnapped Coed, The Mad Butcher, The Toy Box and Toys are Not for Children; Two Archival Short Subjects: Don't be like Lisa! Learn how to stay sane with 1952's Mental Health: Keeping Mentally Fit, and sexy sword-swallower Maria Cortez in We Still Don't Believe It; Gallery of Harry Novak Exploitation Art; Horrorama Radio-Spot Rarities. Minimize

The second season of Angel saw the cult vampire show finall ... Read more

The second season of Angel saw the cult vampire show finally stand on its own from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, assembling all the members of the show's core cast, transferring the action to a fashionably run-down L.A. hotel, and bringing in a few Buffy characters from Angel's history to further establish the moody vampire's own mythology. Moving their Angel Investigations to posher digs, Angel (David Boreanaz), Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), and Wesley (Alexis Denisof) were soon joined by street fighter (J. August Richards)–-and by street fighter, of course we mean demon street fighter. But just as this group was solidifying, up popped Angel's old love, Darla (the fantastic Julie Benz), freshly arrived in L.A. from a hell dimension… just in time to be turned into a vampire again by her old cohort, Drusilla (Juliet Landau), and lure Angel into abandoning his newly formed team. It was the best and worst of times for Angel in its second year, for while the basis was being set for the show's stellar third and fourth seasons, dramatic tension was diluted by Angel's going solo and the necessary (but plot-debilitating) flashbacks to various points in Angel's history. However, just when it seemed everything was about to fly out the window, Angel's creative team threw its characters for a loop--literally--by transporting them to the demon dimension of Pylea, a medieval-style fantasyland populated by monsters and humans alike. It shouldn't have worked, as hokey as it was... but it did, thanks to crack storytelling, sharp dialogue, and the sheer joy the actors unleashed, especially the gifted and fiendishly funny Carpenter. The second half of the season also saw the addition of two of Angel's best characters: the horned Lorne (Andy Hallett), a green demon with a penchant for karaoke, and Fred (Amy Acker), a physicist trapped in Pylea who helped the gang engineer their escape. With these two in tow, Angel began to soar. --Mark Englehart Minimize

Art-Toys is a massive collection of Brian McCarty's meticul ... Read more

Art-Toys is a massive collection of Brian McCarty's meticulously composed photographs that uniquely chronicle the Art-Toy movement. For six years, McCarty worked alongside a host of international artists, photographing their toy characters in actual locations ranging from the Grand Canyon to Times Square. The resulting photos are sometimes dark, often funny, and always hinting at a deeper story. The moments that McCarty manufactures in front of the camera feel real, as if he's simply documenting the day-to-day lives of toys.Each of the over 100 photographs stand alone on a page, allowing viewers an unfettered look at the world from McCarty's toy-based perspective. An extensive behind the scenes section is included at the back of the book, providing a narrative glimpse at McCarty's methods and the artists with whom he collaborates. Snapshots taken on set reveal the brilliantly simple techniques behind some of his most magical and iconic images.Because the toys that McCarty photographs are simultaneously art objects and consumer goods, many of his images were created to serve both creative and commercial goals. As such, they provide a unique perspective on the art and commerce of the Designer Toy / Urban Vinyl movement. A number of books have explored the content of the Art-Toy movement before, but this is the only collection that captures the energy and the attitude of a new era in Pop Art from the perspective of a fellow artist. Minimize

The Efficiency Expert (released in theaters as Spotswood), ... Read more

The Efficiency Expert (released in theaters as Spotswood), a warm-hearted, wacky comedy with a social conscience, takes place in Australia in the "Swinging '60s," and its character, substance, music, and design are so authentic one nearly forgets that it was made in 1991. Sir Anthony Hopkins is wonderful as Errol Wallace, the efficiency expert of the title, who devises painful belt-tightening measures for struggling companies. Wallace is hired to modernize the dotty, antiquated Ball Moccasin Factory, and he's stunned at the impossibility of the task. The cutting room resembles a workshop full of Santa's elves; the men literally dance jigs while they work. Still, Wallace takes the bull by the horns and deputizes a young man, Carey (the winning Ben Mendelsohn), to help him downsize the factory. It's like trying to disband a tribe; many of the employees have been there for 30 years; romances blossom there. Homely Wendy (Toni Colette, of Muriel's Wedding and The Sixth Sense) loves Ben, but he lusts after tarty Cheryl (Rebecca Rigg), whose nasty shark of a boyfriend, Kim, is played by a young Russell Crowe. Wallace thinks he's teaching these factory workers how business works, but it's he who learns a lesson. "Work isn't just about money," declares old Mr. Ball, the factory's owner (the exceedingly touching Alwyn Kurts). "It's about dignity, about treating people with respect. People need to make things." The movie's message has timeless resonance, as job security and pride in manufacturing vanishes from large industrialized nations. --Laura Mirsky Minimize

K-Pop Das Musical ELISABETH OST (3CD+1DVD) (OSTMU04) Pre-Or ... Read more

K-Pop Das Musical ELISABETH OST (3CD+1DVD) (OSTMU04) Pre-Order * Please consider that product information, release date or special content could be change without notice depend on publisher * If you order Pre-order product and regular product at same time, our handling time could be longer than usual. Please consider it. ■ Product Title: Das Musical ELISABETH OST (3CD+1DVD) ■ Singer Name(s): Korean Various Artists (Ock Joo Hyun) ■ Release Date: 2012.04.06 ■ Genre： Musical Original Soundtrack ■ Disc Format(s): CD ■ Language: Korean ■ Number of Disc：3 CD + 1 DVD ■ KJCstar Product ID：OSTMU04 ■ DVD Region Code 【3】 In United States You could watch the DVD on Region Code 1 or all only. Caution : There is no return or money back because of Region Code. If you do not open DVD you can return but you charge restocking fee and shipping cost to send DVD to us. Please make sure that your DVD player and product region code then purchase it. ■ Track List (CD1) Actors - Ryu Jeong Han, Choi Min Chul, Min Young Gi, Lee Jung Hwa, Kim Sun Young, Ryu Jung Han, Lee Jun Seo, Kim Seung Dae (CD2) Actors - Ock Joo Hyun, Song Chang Eui, Park Eun Tae, Yoon Young Suk, Lee Tae Won, Tang Jun Sang, Jeon Dong Suk 01. Prologue 02. Please God, Save the Our Young Emperor 03. Plan is Useless 04. Don't Leave Me Alone 05. Last Dance 06. Empress Must Be Shine 07. I am My Own 08. Happy Ending 09. Opened the Door, Elizabeth 10. Milk 11. I am My Own 12. Kitsch 13. When I Want to Dance 14. Where is My Mom? 15. Stop the Shamming 16. Bellaria 17. Nothing 18. The Shadows Lengthened 19. If I am Your Mirror 20. Happiness is Too Far 21. Veil falls (Special CD) (Special DVD) Minimize

Welsh writer Tyvian Jones (Stanley Baker) seems to have it ... Read more

Welsh writer Tyvian Jones (Stanley Baker) seems to have it all, Sixties style -- an international best seller, an apartment in Rome, a gorgeous fianc+ªe in Virna Lisi - but he's bitter anyway. He meets his existential match in ennui in the mod seductress Eve, played by Jeanne Moreau, who was never more cynical or iconic. Decked out in pointy pumps and heavy eyeliner, listening to Billie Holiday on scratchy LPs as she counts the lire and smokes endless packs of cigarettes in strangers' bedrooms, she is the epitome of frayed glamour. An emotional tyrant, Eve's casual maneuvering forces Baker to confront his past - and his weaknesses - as a man and an artist. With the Hakim brothers (the notorious producers of The Long Night, Purple Noon & Belle De Jour) handed Losey a fat contract and a pulp potboiler (by James Hadley Chase), Losey was sure it was his break. After years of tightly budgeted British programmers, he hoped Eva would be his ticket to the glossy world of the international cinema. But while Losey's final cut was hailed by critics as equal to his materpiece The Servant, it was barely released and remains largely unseen after more than 30 years. Losey disowned the producers' version, 15 minutes shorter than his own. Recently released in its entirelty for the first time in the U.S. by Kino International, Losey's original verison of Eva (entitled Eve), which he described as "almost an orgasm," is also included on this DVD. The only surviving print of the longer version is a Swedish/Finnish release print preserved by the British Film Institute. It is through the efforts if the BFI that Kino is able to present this version on DVD, with Swedish and Finnish subtitles and English dialogue. Minimize

Your genius could have been such a boon to humanity. Your d ... Read more

Your genius could have been such a boon to humanity. Your death ray had wonderful pest control applications and your volcano activator was perfect for fighting global warming. But the fools at the institute they wouldn't listen. They called you mad! You built a monster to rend them limb from limb which your minions assured you was the very worst way to be rended. When it became clear that the only hope for the world was your own benign leadership you took control of TV to announce this fact. But your broadcast was interrupted by someone else taking control of TV and announcing his own plan for world domination ? and then that broadcast was interrupted by yet another interloper. So. Competition. Well the world will never be as scared of these upstarts as it will be of you. Archimedes once said Give me a long enough lever and a place to stand and I will move the world. You will be the most terrifying lever the world has ever seen. Nefarious is a quick-playing game in which the players race to build inventions like a freeze ray cloaking device or robotic pet before their opponents can do the same. (Interesting side note: Eighteen different artists contributed to the artwork on the different inventions in the game.) Nefarious is played over several rounds. In each round the players simultaneously choose and reveal one of their actions that will allow them to allocate one of their Minions to an area on their Lair obtain money obtain a blueprint for an invention or build one of their inventions if they have enough money to do so. The minions that you allocate to your Lair can earn you additional income depending on the actions that your neighbors choose. The first player to build 20 or more points worth of Inventions AND have more points than any other player wins. There is a twist to the game though ? actually two twists! At the beginning of the game you randomly draw two Twist cards which change the environment so that t Minimize

Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's second live-performance DVD, Sp ... Read more

Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's second live-performance DVD, Spark of Insanity, is much funnier than his first, Arguing With Myself, perhaps because his new puppets allow him to cover more controversial territory beyond skits about family beefs and office humor. Though some puppets reappear, like the beloved Peanut, a purple monkey who loves wordplay, new characters emerge as the stars of this hour-long stand-up show. A tense laughter ripples through the audience, for example, when Dunham announces his wish to talk with a terrorist as he brings out Achmed the Dead Terrorist, a turban-sporting skeleton who's refrain is "I will kill you!" Previous show star, Jose Jalapeño, a Mexican chili pepper on a stick, returns for a discussion about whether the puppet has a green card. If his racial jokes rode a line slightly too Caucasian to clarify his point of view before, Dunham has achieved real satire in Spark of Insanity, showing his audience how ridiculous it is to create stereotypes of any sort. Additionally, Dunham mocks his own culture with Walter, a grumpy old white man whose parental chiding rings true for many. Moreover, Dunham impresses with his ventriloquism skills, and shows off some new vocalization techniques that will stun anyone interested in this fascinating art. --Trinie Dalton Minimize

Finally back on the market after many years, and with a hig ... Read more

Finally back on the market after many years, and with a higher standard of quality control for ZZMs original line of products! These areandnbsp;NOT cheap Chinese replicas that will break andandnbsp;notandnbsp;last beyond the third time. Originally conceived as a gag/comedic item, they quickly found their way into the Magic community thanks to people like Ken Brooke and, later, by Mike Ammar. There are an infinite number of great gags possible with this product line, like harmless sparks flying from the fingers on command. For example, the magician can create the illusion of being shocked by their microphone every time they switch it on. They can then take the mic to an audience member, and ask that they switch it on instead. After, they happily refuse, a wave of the magicians wand will cause the mic to actually turn off the house lights (comedic gag). Or, in a packed elevator, you can create the illusion of a static shock from the buttons, but other riders wont be affected, and can press the buttons normally. Another common use may be as an ignition source for flash paper, pyrotechnics, and other combustibles. The trick has been produced for many years in Germany under the highest of standards. With all metal parts and and an effective distance of up to 4 inches (depending on flint quality, which is replaceable) Minimize