Flash of Genius

• TESTED

Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns’ (Greg Kinnear) long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, Flash of Genius tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity at any price. This determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win. When Bob invents a device that would eventually be used by every car in the world, the Kearns think they have struck gold. But their aspirations are dashed after the auto giants who embraced Bob’s creation unceremoniously shunned the man who invented it. While refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David will try the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees.In the early-1990s, Greg Kinnear was just another amiable talk show host. After As Good As It Gets, however, Kinnear c! onfirmed he could act. If Flash of Genius isn't as harrowing as the Bob Crane biopic Auto-Focus, Kinnear digs just as deep to play a man possessed, in this case taking on Bob Kearns, a Detroit physics professor who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. Supported by his wife (Lauren Graham) and best friend (Dermot Mulroney, making the most of an underwritten part), Kearns aims to align himself with a Motor City auto maker to manufacture his device. Ford expresses interest, so Kearns secures a warehouse, but it all falls apart when they abruptly pull the plug. Then he finds out that they've added automatic wipers to their latest line. Though he patented his invention, the company denies they're using his blueprint, so Kearns takes them to court, a process that drags on for three decades. Meanwhile, his support system starts to collapse as Kearns loses interest in everything except the credit he feels he deserves. If the film succumbs to some of the pit! falls of the genre, i.e. the win-lose-win structure, producer-! turned-d irector Marc Abraham never paint Kearns as too much of a hero. Through the inventor's brilliance, the world's streets are safer, but his tenacity also drove away some of those he held most dear. Hence, Flash of Genius serves as an inspirational story, a cautionary tale, and the perfect opportunity for Kinnear to make a potentially off-putting character sympathetic. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from Flash of Genius (Click for larger image)

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Armored [Blu-ray]

• Condition: New
• Format: Blu-ray
• AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; Subtitled; Widescreen

A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist.against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off.A good cast does its best to make Armored roll, but while this heist flick certainly has its moments, it's ultimately arrested by a predictable story, cliché-ridden dialogue, and ham-fisted direction. Matt Dillon plays Mike, the leader of a sextet of guards working for an armored truck company; other members of the team are portrayed by Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich, and Amaury Nolasco, but the key is newcomer Ty (Columbus Short), an Iraq War veteran ! whose parents have both died, leaving Ty to support his troubled younger brother and somehow pay the mortgage on the home their folks left behind. When Mike and the others cook up a scheme to steal a cool $42 million on their next delivery and then claim they were hijacked, Ty is dead set against it--until he goes home and is greeted by a child-welfare official who threatens to put his brother into foster care unless Ty can prove himself capable of looking after the kid (this is but one of the handy plot conveniences designed to push the story forward). Predictability is one thing, but director Nimrod Antal and screenwriter James V. Simpson's setups are so on-the-nose that Helen Keller could see what's coming ("Promise me nobody gets hurt," Ty says to Mike, which guarantees that the body count will start to mount almost instantly). Armored has some good action sequences, a gritty look, a couple of welcome surprises, and the occasional tense moment. But when the great! heist movies are recalled, from Topkapi to Sexy Bea! st, this one is unlikely to be among them. --Sam Graham


Stills from Armored (Click for larger image)

A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist.against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and al! l bets are off.A good cast does its best to make Armored roll, but while this heist flick certainly has its moments, it's ultimately arrested by a predictable story, cliché-ridden dialogue, and ham-fisted direction. Matt Dillon plays Mike, the leader of a sextet of guards working for an armored truck company; other members of the team are portrayed by Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich, and Amaury Nolasco, but the key is newcomer Ty (Columbus Short), an Iraq War veteran whose parents have both died, leaving Ty to support his troubled younger brother and somehow pay the mortgage on the home their folks left behind. When Mike and the others cook up a scheme to steal a cool $42 million on their next delivery and then claim they were hijacked, Ty is dead set against it--until he goes home and is greeted by a child-welfare official who threatens to put his brother into foster care unless Ty can prove himself capable of looking after the kid (this is but one of the handy plot conveniences designed to push the story forward). Predict! ability is one thing, but director Nimrod Antal and screenwriter James V. Simpson's setups are so on-the-nose that Helen Keller could see what's coming ("Promise me nobody gets hurt," Ty says to Mike, which guarantees that the body count will start to mount almost instantly). Armored has some good action sequences, a gritty look, a couple of welcome surprises, and the occasional tense moment. But when the great heist movies are recalled, from Topkapi to Sexy Beast, this one is unlikely to be among them. --Sam Graham


Stills from Armored (Click for larger image)

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Green Lantern: War of the Green Lanterns

• Recreate your favorite Green Lantern moments with this new playset
• Includes Green Lantern figure, Kilowog figure, and a projectile launcher
• The projectile launcher and the lantern lights up
• Turn an activation disk to open the doors and explore the Planet OA
• Fun for all boys

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite force of protectors for peace and justice has existed for centuries. They are the Green Lantern Corps. When a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of the Corps' newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Bringing the popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award® nominee Angela Bas! sett* and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins**. As far as superheroes go, Green Lantern may lack the clean, iconic lines of his more respectable DC counterparts Superman and Batman, but the very wonkiness of the premise (earthling joins elite force of space cops) lends itself to a pulpy, operatic, not-entirely-serious approach. (One of his teammates is a talking carrot, after all.) Capitalizing on a charming performance by Ryan Reynolds, the feature-film adaptation is a big, messy movie that, at its best, generates a feeling of aw-shucks wonder. Much like Thor, it isn't afraid to loosen up on the inner turmoil of its hero and go macro. Based on comic writer Geoff Johns's retrofitting of the title character, the story follows Hal Jordan (Reynolds), an impulsive test pilot whose encounter with a dying alien leaves him with an energy ring capable of weaponizing his imagination. While struggling to master his will-based powers, he must deal with threats both earthbound (! a hilariously nebbishy Peter Saarsgard, who may be the first s! upervill ain to rock a hoodie) and galactic. Martin Campbell, a director who specializes in more down-to-earth heroics (Casino Royale,The Mask of Zorro), brings a pleasing matter-of-fact baseline to the proceedings, an approach that makes the increasingly outlandish effects truly feel special when they occur. Green Lantern has its debits, certainly--the lack of a memorable theme, a second act that hems and haws before getting to the action, the standard origin story shoehorning in too many secondary plots--but its final scenes succeed on a Gigantor, cosmic level where most superhero movies fear to tread. The bigger it goes, the more goofily enjoyable it gets. --Andrew WrightIn a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite force of protectors for peace and justice has existed for centuries. They are the Green Lantern Corps. When a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of the Corps' ! newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Bringing the popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett* and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins**. As far as superheroes go, Green Lantern may lack the clean, iconic lines of his more respectable DC counterparts Superman and Batman, but the very wonkiness of the premise (earthling joins elite force of space cops) lends itself to a pulpy, operatic, not-entirely-serious approach. (One of his teammates is a talking carrot, after all.) Capitalizing on a charming performance by Ryan Reynolds, the feature-film adaptation is a big, messy movie that, at its best, generates a feeling of aw-shucks wonder. Much like Thor, it isn't afraid to loosen up on the inner turmoil of its hero and go macro. Based on comic writer Geoff ! Johns's retrofitting of the title character, the story follows! Hal Jor dan (Reynolds), an impulsive test pilot whose encounter with a dying alien leaves him with an energy ring capable of weaponizing his imagination. While struggling to master his will-based powers, he must deal with threats both earthbound (a hilariously nebbishy Peter Saarsgard, who may be the first supervillain to rock a hoodie) and galactic. Martin Campbell, a director who specializes in more down-to-earth heroics (Casino Royale,The Mask of Zorro), brings a pleasing matter-of-fact baseline to the proceedings, an approach that makes the increasingly outlandish effects truly feel special when they occur. Green Lantern has its debits, certainly--the lack of a memorable theme, a second act that hems and haws before getting to the action, the standard origin story shoehorning in too many secondary plots--but its final scenes succeed on a Gigantor, cosmic level where most superhero movies fear to tread. The bigger it goes, the more goofily enjoyable it gets. ! --Andrew WrightIn a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite force of protectors for peace and justice has existed for centuries. They are the Green Lantern Corps. When a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of the Corps' newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Bringing the popular superhero to the big screen for the first time, Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett* and Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins**. As far as superheroes go, Green Lantern may lack the clean, iconic lines of his more respectable DC counterparts Superman and Batman, but the very wonkiness of the premise (earthling joins elite force of space cops) lends itself to a pulpy, operatic, not-entirely-serious approach. (One of his teammates is a talking carro! t, after all.) Capitalizing on a charming performance by Ryan ! Reynolds , the feature-film adaptation is a big, messy movie that, at its best, generates a feeling of aw-shucks wonder. Much like Thor, it isn't afraid to loosen up on the inner turmoil of its hero and go macro. Based on comic writer Geoff Johns's retrofitting of the title character, the story follows Hal Jordan (Reynolds), an impulsive test pilot whose encounter with a dying alien leaves him with an energy ring capable of weaponizing his imagination. While struggling to master his will-based powers, he must deal with threats both earthbound (a hilariously nebbishy Peter Saarsgard, who may be the first supervillain to rock a hoodie) and galactic. Martin Campbell, a director who specializes in more down-to-earth heroics (Casino Royale,The Mask of Zorro), brings a pleasing matter-of-fact baseline to the proceedings, an approach that makes the increasingly outlandish effects truly feel special when they occur. Green Lantern has its debits, certainly--the lac! k of a memorable theme, a second act that hems and haws before getting to the action, the standard origin story shoehorning in too many secondary plots--but its final scenes succeed on a Gigantor, cosmic level where most superhero movies fear to tread. The bigger it goes, the more goofily enjoyable it gets. --Andrew WrightThe Imaginext Green Lantern playset comes with a Green Lantern figure, a Kilowog figure, B’DG the squirrel figure, a projectile launcher, a projectile and a lantern that really lights up. Turn an activation disk to open the doors and explore the Planet OA. Boys will love recreating their favorite Green Lantern moments with this new playset.Imagine…a world of action and excitement where you decide what happens next! This time, it’s a trip to Planet OA with super hero Green Lantern, Kilowog and B’DG the squirrel. Whatever world you travel to, it’s a whole new adventure every time you play! For kids ages 3 to 8 years.

Playset includes 3 figures, 1 light-up lantern, a projectile launcher, and more!

Turn figures on the playset disks to activate special features.

Inspiring Imaginative Play!
“In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, BEWARE MY POWER ... Green Lantern's Light!” Green Lantern wears a ring that channels pure willpower in the form of green energy. He uses that energy in a number of waysâ€"blasting an energy ray, creating a force field or even creating solid objectsâ€"to help him fight t! he forces of evil. Kilowog and his animal sidekick B’DG are two of those evil forces.

Turn on the Adventure!
With Imaginext Green Lantern Planet OA Playset, kids get to make the action happen! They turn the Green Lantern figure on a disk, and a door opens. They turn the Kilowog figure on another disk to aim the launcher, then press to fire! There’s a lantern that lights up at the press of a button, and a space tether that attaches to a figureâ€"kids can just spin the thumbwheel to let that figure explore Planet OA!

Build Confidence and Develop Imagination
As characters in your child’s adventures, Imaginext figures like Green Lantern and Kilowog can help your child build self-confidence and eagerness to explore. The Green Lantern Planet OA play set provides a backdrop for your child to expand the boundaries of his imagination. And using his imagination is the best adventure of all!

What's In The Box?
1 moon base, 3 figure! s, 1 light-up lantern, 1 projectile launcher with 1 projectile! , 3 butt on cell batteries, and a DC Super Friends DVD.

Aim and fire with Imaginext DC Super Friends Green Lantern!

A malevolent force has usurped control over all the Green Lantern power batteries, leaving the Corps powerless except for a select few members. Now it's up to Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Sinestro to regain control - but can these warriors overcome their differences in time to save the universe?

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The Breach

• ISBN13: 9780061584459
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Inspired by the incredible true story of the greatest security breach in U.S. intelligence history, Breach is a spellbinding thriller starring Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Academy Award® nominee Laura Linney and Dennis Haysbert. Eric O'Neill (Phillippe) is assigned to work with renowned operative Robert Hanssen (Cooper), the sole subject of a long-term, top-secret investigation. Determined to draw this suspected double-agent out of deep cover, O'Neill finds himself in a lethal game of spy vs. spy, where nothing is as it seems. Critics are hailing Breach as "electrifying" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) and "suspenseful" (Ty Burr, The Boston Globe). Starring: Chris Cooper, Ryan! Phillipe, Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert, Caroline Dhavernas, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Cole, Bruce Davison, Ryan Phillippe Directed by: Billy RayIs a mystery really mysterious when the end isn't a secret? Is espionage still thrilling when you know beforehand that the cloak has been pulled back and the dagger revealed? If it's a film as good as Breach, the answer is a resounding yes. Here is a true story that's genuinely stranger than fiction: FBI agent Robert Hanssen spent over 20 years selling government secrets to the Russians, making him the most egregious traitor in U.S. history. He was an Opus Dei Catholic and a devout churchgoer who was also a sexual deviant, a straitlaced company man so trusted by his employers that they once appointed him to lead an investigation designed to reveal who the spy was--when in fact it was Hanssen himself. And in the end, he was brought down in part by 26-year-old Eric O'Neill, an agent-in-training who worked with him for just two m! onths. Chris Cooper, a 2003 supporting actor Oscar winner for ! Adapt ation, is brilliant in the lead role, playing Hanssen as a dour, cold, ultraconservative cipher (women in pantsuits are just one of his peeves) whose conversations more closely resemble interrogations. Ryan Phillippe is also excellent as O'Neill, who's initially kept in the dark by the superior (Laura Linney) who assigned him to help expose Hanssen's treachery; thinking he's been brought in only to gather evidence about his boss' sexual transgressions, O'Neill finds himself caught in a profound moral conundrum, grudgingly admiring Hanssen even as his own marriage is severely tested by the older man's creepy and hypocritical intrusion into their lives, not to mention the FBI's strict rules against discussing the case.

Director Billy Ray (whose previous feature was also a true story: Shattered Glass, about the young writer who fabricated stories for The New Republic) and co-screenwriters Adam Mazer and William Rotko do an extraordinary job of maintaining t! he tension as the story leads to the conclusion that's been revealed in the first few frames (i.e., Hanssen's arrest in February 2001); the exquisite torture of O'Neill's having to keep Hanssen distracted while Bureau technicians search the latter's car is but one example. Moreover, notwithstanding the plot developments, the filmmakers manage to keep their focus on the personal interactions that are the film's key element: the relationships that O'Neill maintains with Hanssen, his father (a cameo by Bruce Davison), his wife (Caroline Dhavernas), and others are entirely credible. At once fascinating and horrifying, Breach is inarguably one of the best films of 2007. --Sam Graham

Thirty years ago, in a facility buried beneath a vast Wyoming emptiness, an experiment gone awry accidentally opened a door.

It is the world's best-kept secretâ€"and its most terrifying.

Trying to regain his life in the Alaskan wilds, ex-con/ex-cop Travis Chase stumbles ! upon an impossible scene: a crashed 747 passenger jet filled w! ith the murdered dead, including the wife of the President of the United States. Though a nightmare of monumental proportions, it pales before the terror to come, as Chase is dragged into a battle for the future that revolves around an amazing artifact.

Allied with a beautiful covert operative whose life he saved, Chase must now play the role he's been destined forâ€"a pawn of incomprehensible forces or humankind's final hopeâ€"as the race toward Apocalypse begins in earnest.

Because something is loose in the world.

And doomsday is not only possible . . . it is inevitable.

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Quirky BND-1-CW1 Bandits All-Purpose Rubber Bands with Hooks (10-pack)

• Fastening up pens or drawing supplies
• Suspending excess cords from shelving
• Hanging a bottle from a baby stroller
• Hanging sunglasses from a rearview mirror
• Tying up jewelry

Escaped prisoners kidnap bank managers, spend the evening with their families and then go to the bank together for the money in the morning.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 3-JUN-2003
Media Type: DVDChemistry and quirkiness--and a stellar cast--help make Barry Levinson's Bandits more than just another comedy about ill-matched outlaws. Levinson's deft touch in Rain Man is evident in the film's road-movie structure, which follows bank robbers Joe (Bruce Willis) and Terry (Billy Bob Thornton) on a crime spree from Oregon to California. They're eventually joined by an aspiring stuntman and getaway driver (Troy Garity, ! son of Jane Fonda) and a neglected housewife (Cate Blanchett) who falls in love with both Joe and Terry after escaping her boring marriage. As scripted by Twin Peaks alumnus Harley Peyton, Bandits shifts from character comedy to crime thriller with reckless abandon, and the humor (particularly Terry's multiple neuroses) is occasionally forced and flat. Levinson compensates with offbeat moments of unexpected tenderness, allowing his cast to express depths of character not necessarily found in the script. A twist ending won't surprise attentive viewers, but it gives Bandits the extra kick it needs. --Jeff ShannonFour tough women in a German penitentiary join forces to form a rock band. When administrators take them to perform at a policeman's ball, the prisoners escape, kidnapping a convenient boy-toy hostage (Werner Schreyer), along the way. Their band, Bandits, becomes a national sensation as the women continue to evade the police. The movie is ! a wild ride, with quite a respectable score of rock songs--som! e catchy , some haunting--composed and performed by Bandits members themselves. All are sung in English (which seems to be the universal language of rock & roll). But although the picture is a lot of fun, it's no Spice World; there's a harder edge, a deeper agenda here. These women were all prisoners for a reason. Each fugitive's story is gradually revealed as the plot progresses. Luna (sultry Jasmin Tabatabai), the lead singer and guitarist, is a loose canon with a real attitude problem. And she likes to rob banks. Emma (Katja Riemann), the brains of the group, had a successful jazz career in America before her abusive boyfriend drove her over the edge. Marie (Jutta Hoffmann), the band's middle-aged keyboard player, is suicidal: something to do with her involvement in her husband's death. Angel (lovely Nicolette Krebitz), is the team's weak link; she can't be trusted. As the Bandits pull off each increasingly improbable narrow escape, the film takes on the radiance of m! yth, ascending ultimately to an apocalyptic finale. --Laura MirskyBack in print, the groundbreaking classic on robber-rebels from "the best known living historian in the world" (The Times [London]). First published in 1969, the now-classic Bandits inspired a whole new field of historical study and brought its author popular acclaim. Bandits transcend the label of criminals; they are robbers and outlaws elevated to the status of avengers and champions of social justice. Some, like Robin Hood, Rob Roy, and Jesse James, are famous throughout the world, the stuff of story and myth. Others, from Balkan haiduks and Indian dacoits to Brazilian congaceiros, are known only to their own countries' people. In his celebrated study of these fascinating figures, now updated with a new introduction, Eric Hobsbawm, "one of the few genuinely great historians of our century," according to the New Republic, spans four hundred years and four con! tinents, setting these folk heroes against the ballads, legend! s, and f ilms they have inspired. The result is "a dazzling historical squib, fizzing with ideas and strange stories" (The Guardian).Chemistry and quirkiness--and a stellar cast--help make Barry Levinson's Bandits more than just another comedy about ill-matched outlaws. Levinson's deft touch in Rain Man is evident in the film's road-movie structure, which follows bank robbers Joe (Bruce Willis) and Terry (Billy Bob Thornton) on a crime spree from Oregon to California. They're eventually joined by an aspiring stuntman and getaway driver (Troy Garity, son of Jane Fonda) and a neglected housewife (Cate Blanchett) who falls in love with both Joe and Terry after escaping her boring marriage. As scripted by Twin Peaks alumnus Harley Peyton, Bandits shifts from character comedy to crime thriller with reckless abandon, and the humor (particularly Terry's multiple neuroses) is occasionally forced and flat. Levinson compensates with offbeat moments of unexpec! ted tenderness, allowing his cast to express depths of character not necessarily found in the script. A twist ending won't surprise attentive viewers, but it gives Bandits the extra kick it needs. --Jeff Shannon

When the sun has gone down and the town has gone to sleep, the racoon bandits prowl through the night. With masks parmanently in play,

They sneak and they creep.

Doing just what they please.

The thieves snatch, run, and escape--always careful not to get caught.

Get ready to tear up the highway with the Bandit (Burt Reynolds), a fun-loving, fast-talking trucker who takes on his craziest haul yet - delivering 400 cases of beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in just 28 hours. With Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) hot on his trail and eager to teach him some respect for the law, the Bandit joins forces with good ol' boy, Cledus (Jerry Reed) and runaway bride Carrie (Sally Field). Gear up for huge l! aughs, pedal-to-the-metal action, and some of the wildest car ! crashes ever filmed! Starring: Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Mike Henry, Paul Williams, Pat McCormick Directed by: Hal NeedhamIt's easy to assume this is just another dumb redneck comedy from Burt Reynolds's years of underachievement. But it's not bad as a dumb redneck comedy at all. Directed by career stuntman Hal Needham, Smokey and the Bandit is just a goofy chase starring a bunch of Reynolds's Hollywood cronies. New to the job as film boss, Needham brings a silly but energized sensibility to the production and an action man's need to see things moving. But he also has a distinctive feeling for relationships, and he's good with a joke. Put all that together, and Smokey is, at the very least (and unlike its sequels), a simple and original pleasure. --Tom Keogh Young Kevins daydreams burst into astonishing and hilarious life when a band of time-traveling little men come crashing through his bedroom wardrobe and carry him off on an un! believable crime spree, weaving through the greatest and strangest moments of history. The pint-sized plunderers filch from a neurotic Napoleon (Ian Holm), a dim-witted Robin Hood (John Cleese) and a heroic King Agamemnon (Sean Connery), leading to a showdown with the dark forces of Evil (David Warner)...all while keeping just one precarious step ahead of the wrath of The Supreme Being himself!Producer/Director/Co-writer Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Brazil) teams with many of his comic-genius cohorts from Monty Python to bring this laugh-out-loud modern fairy tale-adventure to life.Bandits Rubber Bands with HooksBandits are rubber bands, with hooks. Yup, it's really that simple.

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The Baby-Sitters Club #3: The Truth About Stacey

• ISBN13: 9780545174770
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

The first of the new Collector's Club Editions features a new logo, bright new cover, and fill-in pages to personalize as Kristy comes up with the idea for the Baby-sitter's Club with friends Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne. It all began with a great idea ... and the inspiring original story of the Baby-sitters Club is back! Kristy Thomas's brilliant business plan gets off to a great start with the help of Claudia Kishi (vice-president), Mary Anne Spier (secretary), and Stacey McGill (treasurer).

---

Amazon Exclusive Inteview with Author Ann M. Martin

Q: It's been a decade since the last Baby-sitters Club books came out, and 24 years since the first book was published. What was it like to come back to the BSC after so many years away?

Martin: I had a great time re-visiting the characters. It was fun to explore their lives in the prequel, “"The Summer Before," and to figure out what led the girls to form The Baby-sitters Club, something that would eventually change their lives. It was like a reunion with friends--friends who haven’t changed a bit.

Q: Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacey are very different characters, which is in part why the series was and is still so popular. Every reader can relate to at least one of the characters. So, we have to ask you--which character are you most like?

Martin: I am most like Mary Anne who is the shy and quiet one. Like me, Mary An! ne enjoys more solitary pursuits such as reading and needlewor! k. My fa vorite character, however, is Kristy. I think she's my alter ego.

Q: Were you allowed to baby-sit when you were twelve? If so, were they any funny or awful stories you'd like to share?

Martin: Yes, I did a lot of baby-sitting when I was twelve. One of the worst and also funniest things that ever happened was when I was baby-sitting for our neighbors and the kids wanted to wash their parents' car. They started the job with much enthusiasm--using Brillo pads.

Q: More than 200 BSC books were published in the eighties and nineties. Are there any that you are particularly fond of and why?

Martin: My favorite Baby-sitters Club book is "Kristy's Great Idea," which is the first book and sets the series in motion. I also like the more serious books such as "Claudia and the Sad Good-bye," which deals with the death of Claudia’s grandmother. This book was written sh! ortly after my own grandmother died. My other favorite BSC books include “Kristy and the Secret of Susan,” in which the members of the BSC baby-sit for a child with autism, and "Jessi's Secret Language" in which the girls learn American Sign Language in order to communicate with a sitting charge with profound hearing impairment.

Q: Why do you think that the series is so well-loved and has endured over so many years?

Martin: I think the characters in the BSC books are easily relatable. The books deal with timeless topics including friendship, family, and school. Also, the books tackle serious issues including racism, bullying, kids with disabilities (physical and mental), and death of a loved one. These issues were relevant to kids in the 1980s and 1990s, and are still relevant to kids today. In addition to being relatable, these are characters readers can aspire to. The kids run a business--in this case, a baby! -sitting business. They are entrepreneurial, independent, crea! tive, an d confident. And at the heart of the series is the friendship--the "glue" that binds these characters. Sure, they have fights, but they're loyal and they support one another. I think a lot of us--even adults--can relate to that.

Q: "The Summer Before" takes place during the summer before the girls enter the seventh grade--where suddenly there's a ton of pressure to fit in. The months leading up to it can be filled with anxiety, excitement, and anticipation. Do you remember how you spent the summer before seventh grade?

Martin: I was nervous that summer because in the fall I would be going to a new school â€" the junior high (this was in the time before middle schools). Even the words "junior high" seemed terribly grown-up. My friends and I would be attending school with eighth-graders, who were one step away from high school. I spent that summer reading, going to the community pool, taking a family trip to Cape May! , New Jersey, doing some baby-sitting, and also recovering from surgery. But the knowledge that I would soon be in junior high school colored every day and every activity and did lend the summer an air of both anxiety and anticipation.

Q: Despite the fun the girls have together in "The Summer Before," they're all dealing with pretty tough problemsâ€"moving away, an absentee father, a first crush. How did you choose the issues you wanted to focus on?

Martin:  One of my favorite things about writing a series was that the characters themselves generated plot ideas for later books. One of the themes that developed as the series progressed was that of Kristy's relationship with her father. It was an idea I enjoyed exploring, and when I had the opportunity to write the prequel I realized that this summer would be a charged time for Kristy, and that I could introduce the issues she had with her father here; then they could! unfold in the later books. The same applied to Stacey. Her re! asons fo r moving to Stoneybrook had been revealed in later books, but I realized that during this particular summer the reader could actually watch the events take place. The other issues â€" a first crush, wanting more independence yet still feeling like a kid--are themes that I felt would resonate with most "tween" readers.

Q: Even though the books have been out of print for ten years there are still some very devoted fans. Surely you must have received a ton of letters about the series over the years. Are there any that stick out in your mind?

Martin: The most memorable are stories of girls who have written to me and told me that I’ve made an impact on their lives, that The Baby-sitters Club books have turned them into readers. Some have also said that the BSC books made them aspire to become writers. I’ve also heard from a lot of the original fans who grew up to become teachers, librarians, editors, journalists, entre! preneurs, etc. To know that this series inspired a generation of readers and writers is very humbling.

Q: There’s been a lot of speculation in the blogosphere about where Claudia, Kristy, Mary Ann, and Stacey would be now, in 2010, had they grown up. Do you have any thoughts on what path each would have taken?

Martin:  I understand the fascination of the older BSC fans who would like to know what happened with the characters when they got older. It’s thrilling to realize that after all these years the fans remain passionate about the books and the characters in The Baby-sitters Club. I can see Kristy running a business--I can also see her being in politics. I think Mary Anne became a teacher. I imagine Stacey went into fashion--not as a designer, but maybe on the business side. And Claudia became an artist. I think fans can fill in for the rest of the characters!

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The hit series returns to charm and inspire another ge! neration of baby-sitters! The first three classic BSC books are back, along with a brand-new prequel, The Summer Before.

Being a good baby-sitter isn't always easy, and the vice-president of the Baby-Sitters Club, Claudia Kishi, is learning that the hard way. She and the other club members have started getting strange calls on the job. Is it the Phantom Caller, a jewel thief who's been breaking into houses in the area? One thing is certain -- the Club has to take action to protect their kids!

Everyone's favorite baby-sitters are back -- with everyone's favorite trip to the beach!

It all started with Kristy's great idea and became a worldwide phenomenon! Now Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are back, with a fresh new look for a new generation of readers to discover.

The Pike family is taking a two-week vacation at the Jersey Shore, and Stacey and Mary Anne get to go along to help out! Two weeks of sun, sand -- and the cutest lifeguard Stacey has ! ever seen!

Mary Anne knows that Scott the lifeguard is way too old for Stacey, but Stacey is in love. How can Mary Anne help her friend -- without Stacey ending up with a broken heart?

Burst: One of the bestselling Baby-sitters Club titles of all time!

A fresh new look for the beloved series -- set to relaunch just after a brand-new prequel hits stores!

The truth about Stacey is that she has diabetes, a fact she keeps secret from everyone except her new friends in the Baby-sitters Club. But Stacey's condition causes a lot of problems, and she has to miss a lot of BSC meetings. Can she find a solution before her new friends get sick of her disease?

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Civil Brand

• DVD Details: Actors: LisaRaye, N'Bushe Wright, Mos Def, Monica Calhoun, Clifton Powell
• Directors: Neema Barnette
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
• Number of discs: 1; Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: January 27, 2004; Run Time: 95 minutes

CIVIL BRAND - DVD Movie

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Monster Rock Instrument Cable - 21 Feet - Angled to Straight 1/4-Inch plug

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Get on the bio-fueled bus with actor and activist Woody Harrelson and his band of "Merry Hempsters" as they embark on a 1,300-mile road trip from Seattle to Santa Barbara to promote environmental awareness and "Simple Organic Living." Pop and counter-culture documentarian Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential, Twist) chronicles every leg of Harrelson’s journey, from college campus appe! arances and encounters with curious onlookers, to a visit with 1960s icon Ken Kesey. With his fellow travelers, including one confessed junk food addict, Harrelson is determined to change hearts and minds, one hemp burger and sweet avocado chocolate mousse pie at a time. Featuring the music of Natalie Merchant, Bob Weir, Anthony Kiedis and Dave Matthews. "It’s all good, dude."In Natural Born Killers, Woody Harrelson played a mass murderer on a road trip killing spree. In Go Further, Harrelson has returned to the road, this time as himself, and this time he’s out to save the earth. The film documents a trip down the Pacific coast Harrelson and assorted friends took in the summer of 2001 in a bio-diesel and hemp oil-fueled bus. Along the way they tackled various stretches by bike, did a lot of yoga, spoke in front of college crowds about environmental awareness, ate avocado-based delicacies prepared by the on-board raw foods chef, and encountered rock stars ! like Bob Weir, Natalie Merchant, and Anthony Kiedis. Your run ! of the m ill road trip, in other words. Harrelson’s buddy, the junk food addict Steve Clark emerges as the star, if stardom means the ability to expound on the evils of non-organic milk at length. Herein lies the conundrum. For all its earnestness, or maybe because of it, Go Further drags. It’s a movie with its heart in the right place, but that seems unwilling to preach to anyone outside the choir. The best bits are those in which Harrelson and the crew encounter folks who don't share their point of view--inhalant-addicted teens in Oregon, small town folks who sneeringly refer to Harrelson as "Woody Allen." Opportunities for confrontation are eschewed lest anyone's vibe gets harshed. One almost wishes Michael Moore had been hitchhiking along US Route 1 that summer. --Ryan BoudinotActor Woody Harrelson, along with his friends from the 2003 Toronto Film Festival hit, Go Further, directed by Ron Mann, encourages people to "walk on the earth with a lighter footprint" i! n How To Go Further: A Guide to Simple Organic Living.

Covering a wide range of topicsâ€"such as organic food, alternative energy, yoga, and political activismâ€"the book has its roots in 2001's "Simple Organic Living (SOL) Tour." The tour saw Woody and his companionsâ€"including a yoga teacher, a raw food chef, and a confessed "junk food junkie"â€"biking down the Pacific coast and talking to people about how to lead a happier, healthier life while using less of the world's resources.

The book also features writing from some of the tour's other participants, as well as from well-known activists such as John Schaeffer, founder and president of Real Goods, a company devoted to creating alternative energy options, and Howard "Twilly" Cannon, former skipper of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior.Do you dread opening bills and statements? Do you feel like your debts are spiralling out of control? Do you wish you had more money left at the end of the month?'Spendsmart' aut! hors and money experts Benjamin Fry and Jay Hunt take a unique! and hol istic approach to helping you deal with all your financial worries. Firstly, Benjamin examines the real reasons behind your overspending, so that you can understand how to change, and then Jay provides you with practical and realistic solutions for spending less.By following their proven 5-step plan, you will be able to identify your debts, learn how to live on a budget without depriving yourself and apply their strategies to the way you continue to spend money in the future. Packed with budgeting suggestions, helpful questionnaires, realistic tips, and fun ideas, 'Spendsmart' is a must-read for anyone who wants to make their money go further.Do you dread opening bills and statements? Do you feel like your debts are spiralling out of control? Do you wish you had more money left at the end of the month?'Spendsmart' authors and money experts Benjamin Fry and Jay Hunt take a unique and holistic approach to helping you deal with all your financial worries. Firstly, Benjamin exam! ines the real reasons behind your overspending, so that you can understand how to change, and then Jay provides you with practical and realistic solutions for spending less.By following their proven 5-step plan, you will be able to identify your debts, learn how to live on a budget without depriving yourself and apply their strategies to the way you continue to spend money in the future. Packed with budgeting suggestions, helpful questionnaires, realistic tips, and fun ideas, 'Spendsmart' is a must-read for anyone who wants to make their money go further.Monster Rock Cable features patented technologies help you deliver the power and full impact of your tone.Unlike ordinary cable, Monster Rock uses patented technologies to accent the raw power of your sound so it cuts through the mix. Monster's advanced coaxial design preserves fast transients, clean highs and vivid harmonics while patented multiple gauge wire networks enhance your guitar's sonic bite. A solid core center c! onductor provides tighter bass response, plus an extra-dense b! raided s hield and carbon-infused dielectric minimize interference and hum.

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