Tuesday, November 29, 2011

D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router

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With more than 3 million copies sold, the #1 New York Times bestseller is now available in a special gift edition.

A modern classic, The Help has been a cultural touchstone for the millions of readers who have cheered on Skeeter, laughed with Minny, and hissed at Hilly. The noble and strong Aibileen has become a heroine for countless fans w! hose letters have poured in from all over the world. Now the bestselling and beloved book is available in a deluxe gift edition.

The Help has been on bestseller lists for longer than any other hardcover fiction title since The Da Vinci Code. It was USA Today's 2009 Book of the Year and has been published in thirty-seven countries around the world.

The movie The Help, produced by DreamWorks and 1492 Pictures, is scheduled for a major motion-picture release in August 2011.

This beautiful edition, destined to be passed down from generation to generation, is filled with special features, including:
-satin ribbon marker
-printed endpapers
-cloth bound
-two-color interior printing

This deluxe gift edition is the perfect gift for someone you love-or as a special treat for yourself.

The wildly popular New York Times bestseller and reading group favorite.

Aibileen is a black ma! id in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders qui! etly, bu t lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...The wildly popular New York Times bestseller and reading group favorite.

Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, th! ese seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...The D-Link Extreme-N Gigabit Router (DIR-655) is a draft 2.0 802.11n compliant device that delivers up to 14x faster speeds and 6x farther range than 802.11g while staying backward compatible with 802.11g devices. Connect the Extreme-N Gigabit Router to a cable or DSL modem and provide high-speed Internet access to multiple computers, game consoles, and media players. Create a secure wireless network to share photos, files, music, videos, printers, and network storage.

Amelia

  • ISBN13: 9780449910504
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Two-time Academy Award® Winner Hilary Swank delivers an unforgettable performance as Amelia Earhart, the legendary American aviatrix who boldly flew into the annals of history. Richard Gere co-stars as her charismatic business partner and adoring husband George Putnam. Bound by ambition and love, their enduring marriage could not be broken by Amelia's determination to fly -- nor her passionate affair with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). Equal parts gripping drama, stirring romance and epic adventure, Amelia will take your breath away and send your spirit soaring!
  • Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Digital
  • Language: Dubbed: English / Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
  • ! Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 2.35:1
With her lanky Middle-America looks and her toothy grin, Hilary Swank is a natural fit for the adventurous figure of Amelia Earhart, the world's most famous aviatrix. Amelia ticks through the major achievements of Earhart's career: her 1928 flight across the Atlantic (as a passenger, not a pilot), which made her the first airborne woman to make the trip; more triumphantly, her 1932 solo transatlantic journey; her marriage to publisher George Putnam; and of course the mysterious 1937 around-the-world flight that ended in her vanishing, with engineer Fred Noonan, somewhere near Howland Island in the mid Pacific. With Swank in her pilot togs and director Mira Nair at the helm, the project would seem to have the ingredients for success, but the resulting film is a truly dull, almost featureless affair. The big flights themselves have innate appeal, but otherwise the emphasis is on Amelia's love life, shared betwee! n Putnam (Richard Gere) and the dashing Gene Vidal (Ewan McGre! gor)--wh o, the film clumsily keeps reminding us, is the father of Gore Vidal, seen here as a precocious tyke. A smidgen of Amelia's proto-feminist attitude is included, including her intriguing take on her marriage agreement, but nothing actually cuts deep or generates interest. After a while Amelia becomes a series of events, told with less excitement than the average documentary on the same subject, albeit with prettier photography. --Robert HortonWhen Amelia's mom givs her a journal for her ninth birthday, Amelia has a place to share her truest feelings at last!Two-time Academy Award® Winner Hilary Swank delivers an unforgettable performance as Amelia Earhart, the legendary American aviatrix who boldly flew into the annals of history. Richard Gere co-stars as her charismatic business partner and adoring husband George Putnam. Bound by ambition and love, their enduring marriage could not be broken by Amelia's determination to fly -- nor her passionate affair wit! h Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). Equal parts gripping drama, stirring romance and epic adventure, Amelia will take your breath away and send your spirit soaring!
  • Audio: English: 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio
  • Language: Dubbed: English / Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
  • Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen: 2.35:1
With her lanky Middle-America looks and her toothy grin, Hilary Swank is a natural fit for the adventurous figure of Amelia Earhart, the world's most famous aviatrix. Amelia ticks through the major achievements of Earhart's career: her 1928 flight across the Atlantic (as a passenger, not a pilot), which made her the first airborne woman to make the trip; more triumphantly, her 1932 solo transatlantic journey; her marriage to publisher George Putnam; and of course the mysterious 1937 around-the-world flight that ended in her va! nishing, with engineer Fred Noonan, somewhere near Howland Isl! and in t he mid Pacific. With Swank in her pilot togs and director Mira Nair at the helm, the project would seem to have the ingredients for success, but the resulting film is a truly dull, almost featureless affair. The big flights themselves have innate appeal, but otherwise the emphasis is on Amelia's love life, shared between Putnam (Richard Gere) and the dashing Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor)--who, the film clumsily keeps reminding us, is the father of Gore Vidal, seen here as a precocious tyke. A smidgen of Amelia's proto-feminist attitude is included, including her intriguing take on her marriage agreement, but nothing actually cuts deep or generates interest. After a while Amelia becomes a series of events, told with less excitement than the average documentary on the same subject, albeit with prettier photography. --Robert HortonEveryone's favorite literal-minded housekeeper, Amelia Bedelia, celebrates her 40th Anniversary in a three-book I Can Read box set.The! book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Domestic fiction; Didactic fiction; England - Social life and customs - 18th century; Married women - England; Fiction / General; Fiction / Literary; Fiction / General; Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Sagas; Fiction / Literary; Fiction / MysteryJoin Amelia on a year full of fifth-grade adventures, from stealing the show in the Thanksgiving play, to unravelling a Valentine's mystery, to being a junior bridesmaid!Nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, this magical comedy earned overwhelming acclaim nationwide! A painfully shy waitress working at a tiny Paris cafe, Amélie makes a surprising discovery and sees her life drastically changed for the better! From then on, Amélie dedicates herself to helping others find happiness ... in the most delightfully un! expected way! But will she have the courage to do for herself ! what she has done for others?Perhaps the most charming movie of all time, Amélie is certainly one of the top 10. The title character (the bashful and impish Audrey Tautou) is a single waitress who decides to help other lonely people fix their lives. Her widowed father yearns to travel but won't, so to inspire the old man she sends his garden gnome on a tour of the world; with whispered gossip, she brings together two cranky regulars at her café; she reverses the doorknobs and reprograms the speed dial of a grocer who's mean to his assistant. Gradually she realizes her own life needs fixing, and a chance meeting leads to her most elaborate stratagem of all. This is a deeply wonderful movie, an illuminating mix of magic and pragmatism. Fans of the director's previous films (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) will not be disappointed; newcomers will be delighted. --Bret FetzerAmelia, independent and headstrong, curbed her ways against her father's a! nger. He was determined that she would marry into the Cullhane family. But it was the fierce gaze of King Cullhane who haunted her mind. King wanted her all right, but he didn't trust her. And Amelia knew that the one thing she couldn't deny was the raging need inside of her that could only be assuaged by King's savage embrace....


From the Paperback edition.

American Conspiracies: Lies, Lies, and More Dirty Lies that the Government Tells Us

  • ISBN13: 9781616082147
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 06/30/2009 Run time: 135 minutes Rating: RWhat is it about director Richard Donner that Mel Gibson enjoys so much that he's appeared in five of Donner's films? Is it the on-set pranks? Could it be the big-budget perks and $20-million paychecks? Or is it just a well-stocked catering table? Whatever the case, the Lethal Weapon star and director teamed up again, along with fellow superstar Julia Roberts, for this typically glossy, entertaining but ultimately hokey thriller. Gibson plays New York cab driver Jerry Fletcher, whose wacky belief in conspiracies finally hits on a coincidental truth involving an evil figure named Jonas (Patrick Stewart) and a sec! ret program of government-funded mind control. Roberts plays the Justice Department attorney who finally believes in Jerry's paranoid ramblings. With a plot (from LA. Confidential cowriter Brian Helgeland) that's a lot of fun as long as you don't think about it too critically, Conspiracy Theory benefits immeasurably from the charisma of its high-magnitude stars. --Jeff ShannonWhat is it about director Richard Donner that Mel Gibson enjoys so much that he's appeared in five of Donner's films? Is it the on-set pranks? Could it be the big-budget perks and $20-million paychecks? Or is it just a well-stocked catering table? Whatever the case, the Lethal Weapon star and director teamed up again, along with fellow superstar Julia Roberts, for this typically glossy, entertaining but ultimately hokey thriller. Gibson plays New York cab driver Jerry Fletcher, whose wacky belief in conspiracies finally hits on a coincidental truth involving an evil figure n! amed Jonas (Patrick Stewart) and a secret program of governmen! t-funded mind control. Roberts plays the Justice Department attorney who finally believes in Jerry's paranoid ramblings. With a plot (from LA. Confidential cowriter Brian Helgeland) that's a lot of fun as long as you don't think about it too critically, Conspiracy Theory benefits immeasurably from the charisma of its high-magnitude stars. --Jeff ShannonA CONSPIRACY OBSESSED CABDRIVER NAMED JERRY FLETCHER BELIEVES HEHAS AN INEXPLICABLE CONNECTION TO A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ATTORNEY,ALICE SUTTON. HE KEEPS TRYING TO WARN HER ABOUT IMPENDING CONSPIRACIES EVEN THOUGH SHE GENTLY BUT FIRMLY DISMISSES HISCONCERNS.What is it about director Richard Donner that Mel Gibson enjoys so much that he's appeared in five of Donner's films? Is it the on-set pranks? Could it be the big-budget perks and $20-million paychecks? Or is it just a well-stocked catering table? Whatever the case, the Lethal Weapon star and director teamed up again, along with fellow superstar Julia Rober! ts, for this typically glossy, entertaining but ultimately hokey thriller. Gibson plays New York cab driver Jerry Fletcher, whose wacky belief in conspiracies finally hits on a coincidental truth involving an evil figure named Jonas (Patrick Stewart) and a secret program of government-funded mind control. Roberts plays the Justice Department attorney who finally believes in Jerry's paranoid ramblings. With a plot (from LA. Confidential cowriter Brian Helgeland) that's a lot of fun as long as you don't think about it too critically, Conspiracy Theory benefits immeasurably from the charisma of its high-magnitude stars. --Jeff ShannonWhat is it about director Richard Donner that Mel Gibson enjoys so much that he's appeared in five of Donner's films? Is it the on-set pranks? Could it be the big-budget perks and $20-million paychecks? Or is it just a well-stocked catering table? Whatever the case, the Lethal Weapon star and director teamed up again, a! long with fellow superstar Julia Roberts, for this typically g! lossy, e ntertaining but ultimately hokey thriller. Gibson plays New York cab driver Jerry Fletcher, whose wacky belief in conspiracies finally hits on a coincidental truth involving an evil figure named Jonas (Patrick Stewart) and a secret program of government-funded mind control. Roberts plays the Justice Department attorney who finally believes in Jerry's paranoid ramblings. With a plot (from LA. Confidential cowriter Brian Helgeland) that's a lot of fun as long as you don't think about it too critically, Conspiracy Theory benefits immeasurably from the charisma of its high-magnitude stars. --Jeff Shannon
The one hundred conspiracy theories of all time-from Harold Wilson as a Soviet agent to Princess Diana's death, from the attacks on 9/11 in the U.S. and on 7/7 in London. This volume presents research and plausible cover-up theories for the reader to judge.
set of 4 dvd'sMel's the man for screen excitement! Mel Gibson leads Kurt Russell and Michelle! Pfeiffer in Tequila Sunrise (Side A). Robert Towne (Chinatown) writes and directs a volatile mix of romance and suspense involving a contraband smuggler (Gibson) who claims he's gone straight, a cop (Russell) who's a boyhood pal of the smuggler, and a restaurateur (Pfeiffer) who may be a pawn in the men's moves and countermoves. Gibson brings gonzo brilliance to Conspiracy Theory (Side B), starring with Julia Roberts in a funny, fierce thriller about a New York cabbie (Gibson) who becomes a hunted man when one of his crackpot theories turns out to be ominously true. Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon) directs this wild action ride.

Seven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list: Jesse Ventura tells it like it is, and this time he tackles our government’s biggest secrets.

In this explosive account of wrongful acts and ensuing cover-ups, Jesse Ventura takes a systematic look at the wide gap between what the government knows and when the government knows! it, and what is revealed to the American people and when it i! s reveal ed. The media is complicit in these acts of deception, often refusing to consider alternate possibilities and dismissing voices that diverge from public opinion. In American Conspiracies, Ventura looks closely at the theories that have been presented over the years and examines the truth, as well as the lies.

The assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, the Kennedys, and Martin Luther King Jr.â€"these cases and more need to be re-examined in Ventura’s eyes. Was Watergate presented honestly, or was the CIA involved? Did the Republican Party set out to purposefully steal two elections? Has all of the evidence on 9/11 been presented, or is there another angle that the media is afraid to explore? And finally, is the collapse of today’s financial order and the bailout plan by the Federal Reserve the widest-reaching conspiracy ever perpetrated? Nothing gets by Jesse Ventura in American Conspiracies.

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The creator of Office Space, writer-director Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-head), moves from cubicles to the assembly line with Extract-- his outrageous return to workplace comedy, featuring a hilarious ensemble cast of quirky characters. About to sell his successful flavor extract company, life is almost sweet for Joel (Jason Bateman) until a freak on-the-job accident happens. Add to that his bored wife (Kristen Wiig), his laid-back, stoner best friend (Ben Affleck), a sexy con artist (Mila Kunis) who blows into town with dollar signs in her bedroom eyes, and a dumb gigolo and life as he knows it turns sour. Filled with laugh-out-loud one-liners and raunchy comedy, Extract is 100% pure hil arity.The creator of Office Space, writer-director Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-head), moves from cubicles to the assembly! line with Extract-- his outrageous return to workplace comedy, featuring a hilarious ensemble cast of quirky characters. About to sell his successful flavor extract company, life is almost sweet for Joel (Jason Bateman) until a freak on-the-job accident happens. Add to that his bored wife (Kristen Wiig), his laid-back, stoner best friend (Ben Affleck), a sexy con artist (Mila Kunis) who blows into town with dollar signs in her bedroom eyes, and a dumb gigolo and life as he knows it turns sour. Filled with laugh-out-loud one-liners and raunchy comedy, Extract is 100% pure hilarity.

Bonus Features include: Mike Judge's Secret Recipe Featurette The Ingredients For A Classic Mike Judge FilmMike Judge is in a familiar zone in Extract, which is sort of a close relative to his cult classic Office Space. But this time the main character owns the company, instead of being a cog in the machinery, and middle age presents a different set of challenges. Joel (J! ason Bateman) concocted a new approach to soda pop, and his sm! all comp any is bubbling along nicely--in fact, there's talk he might get bought out by General Foods…unless something were to come along to really, you know, screw up the deal. Hmm, what could go wrong? Joel is sexually unfulfilled with his wife (Kristen Wiig), there's a new temp worker (Mila Kunis) at the factory who favors minimal clothing, and Joel's best friend (Ben Affleck), a slacker bartender, is bursting with bad advice. Oh, and there's an employee (Clifton Collins Jr.) contemplating a lawsuit because of a workplace accident that left him missing an important piece of equipment. The film's plot machinations are less enticing than the moment-by-moment behavioral observations, always a Mike Judge specialty. Examples: the chattering of the factory floor workers, who could easily have stepped out of a King of the Hill cartoon, or Joel's suburban neighbor (David Koechner at his chummiest), the kind of yakety-yak blowhard who simply will not shut up, however many polite! messages he receives. It might not amount to a whole lot, and somehow the gifted Bateman seems underused here (Affleck, on the other hand, is having a ball). But Extract seems destined for cable-TV repeatability, much like its corporate cousin. --Robert Horton

Stills from Extract (Click for larger image)
 






The creator of Office Space, writer-director Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-head), moves from cubicles to the assembly line with Extract-- his outrageous return to workplace comedy, featuring a hilarious ensemble cast of quirky characters. About to sell his successful flavor extract company, life is almost sweet for Joel (Jason Bateman) until a freak on-the-job accident happens. Add to that his bored wife (Kristen Wiig), his laid-back, stoner best friend (Ben Affleck), a sexy con artist (Mila Kunis) who blows in! to town with dollar signs in her bedroom eyes, and a dumb gigolo and life as he knows it turns sour. Filled with laugh-out-loud one-liners and raunchy comedy, Extract is 100% pure hil arity.The creator of OFFICE SPACE, writer-director Mike Judge (BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD), moves from cubicles to the assembly line with EXTRACT his outrageous return to workplace comedy, featuring a hilarious ensemble cast of quirky characters. About to sell his successful flavor extract company, life is almost sweet for Joel (Jason Bateman) until a freak on-the-job accident happens. Add to that his bored wife (Kristen Wiig), his laid-back best friend (Ben Affleck), a sexy con artist (Mila Kunis) who blows into town with dollar signs in her bedroom eyes, and a dumb gigolo -- and life as he knows it turns sour. Filled with laugh-out-loud one-liners and raunchy comedy, EXTRACT is 100% pure hilarity.

Bonus Features include: Exclusive To Blu-ray Deleted Scene, Exclusive To Blu-ray Extended Scen! es, Mike Judge's Secret Recipe Featurette The Ingredients For ! A Classi c Mike Judge FilmMike Judge is in a familiar zone in Extract, which is sort of a close relative to his cult classic Office Space. But this time the main character owns the company, instead of being a cog in the machinery, and middle age presents a different set of challenges. Joel (Jason Bateman) concocted a new approach to soda pop, and his small company is bubbling along nicely--in fact, there's talk he might get bought out by General Foods…unless something were to come along to really, you know, screw up the deal. Hmm, what could go wrong? Joel is sexually unfulfilled with his wife (Kristen Wiig), there's a new temp worker (Mila Kunis) at the factory who favors minimal clothing, and Joel's best friend (Ben Affleck), a slacker bartender, is bursting with bad advice. Oh, and there's an employee (Clifton Collins Jr.) contemplating a lawsuit because of a workplace accident that left him missing an important piece of equipment. The film's plot machinations ! are less enticing than the moment-by-moment behavioral observations, always a Mike Judge specialty. Examples: the chattering of the factory floor workers, who could easily have stepped out of a King of the Hill cartoon, or Joel's suburban neighbor (David Koechner at his chummiest), the kind of yakety-yak blowhard who simply will not shut up, however many polite messages he receives. It might not amount to a whole lot, and somehow the gifted Bateman seems underused here (Affleck, on the other hand, is having a ball). But Extract seems destined for cable-TV repeatability, much like its corporate cousin. --Robert Horton

Stills from Extract (Click for larger image)
 






Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/27/2011 Run time: 92 minutes Rating: RSix 1 FL OZ bottles contained banana, blueberry, cherry, mango, raspberry and strawberry flavors

17 Again

  • Condition: New
  • Format: DVD
  • Color; Full Screen; Widescreen; Subtitled; NTSC
A small-town hero and an accomplished sailor who has it all: the adoration of his mother and younger brother and a stanford scholarship. His bright future is cut short when tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 11/09/2010 Starring: Zac Efron Ray Liotta Run time: 100 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Burr SteersTeen heartthrob Zac Efron (High School Musical, 17 Again) makes an appealing, and wise, choice as the star of Charlie St. Cloud. Efron is able to flex his dramatic acting abilities and can stretch, ever so slightly, into a more adult role, without alienating or being off-putting to his dedicated young fans. And Efron shows signs of being a terrific young actor, with nuanced skills that have perhaps been overlooked until now! , because of his appealing pinup-boy looks. Efron is delicious eye candy in Charlie St. Cloud, no question (though he has to share some of that role with the beautiful British Columbia coastline where the film is set), but he also carries the entire film, which manages to be family drama, tragedy, adventure, and budding love story--with a good dose of "live your life to the fullest" advice built in. Efron plays the title character, a gifted student and sailor who gets a full scholarship to Stanford. But right after graduation, Charlie is involved in a life-changing tragedy--one that shatters his family and his own sense of his place in the world. Efron's Charlie is a lost young man, dedicated to the aftereffects of the tragic accident, and turns from promising young upstart to pitiable recluse--so reclusive that he lives and works at the local graveyard. The entire cast is wonderful, and they put their hearts into the sad, yet ultimately uplifting story. Young Charli! e Tahan is winsome as Charlie's younger brother, Sam. Kim Basi! nger, to o long away from the big screen, is grounded and believable as the boys' hard-working single mom. Ray Liotta plays a memorable cameo as a paramedic who helps save Charlie after the accident. And Amanda Crew is spunky and adorable as the independent young sailor with a secret crush on Charlie--the "old" Charlie, who was still interested in embracing life--and with possibly the only lifeline that Charlie might actually grab. The chemistry between Efron and Crew is sparkly, and Efron fans will enjoy seeing their idol in more mature love scenes. But not too mature--the raciest of the romance scenes involves Efron (not Crew) taking off his shirt--to fans' delight. If Charlie St. Cloud isn't too original in its plotting, nor especially crisp in its direction, it doesn't matter--Efron's screen appeal is plenty to propel both the story and the action. Efron fans of all ages will enjoy watching the young actor begin the process of growing up--just a bit--onscreen. --A.T. Hu! rleyZac Efron stars as Charlie St. Cloud, a small-town hero and an accomplished sailor who has it all: the adoration of his mother and younger brother, and a Stanford scholarship. His bright future is cut short when tragedy strikes, taking his dreams with it. Now Charlie is torn between honoring a promise he made years ago and pursuing his newfound love with a former high-school classmate. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, comes a story of hope, second chances and the transformative power of love, also starring Ray Liotta and Academy Award® winner Kim Basinger.Teen heartthrob Zac Efron (High School Musical, 17 Again) makes an appealing, and wise, choice as the star of Charlie St. Cloud. Efron is able to flex his dramatic acting abilities and can stretch, ever so slightly, into a more adult role, without alienating or being off-putting to his dedicated young fans. And Efron shows signs of being a terrific young actor, with nuanced skills ! that have perhaps been overlooked until now, because of his ap! pealing pinup-boy looks. Efron is delicious eye candy in Charlie St. Cloud, no question (though he has to share some of that role with the beautiful British Columbia coastline where the film is set), but he also carries the entire film, which manages to be family drama, tragedy, adventure, and budding love story--with a good dose of "live your life to the fullest" advice built in. Efron plays the title character, a gifted student and sailor who gets a full scholarship to Stanford. But right after graduation, Charlie is involved in a life-changing tragedy--one that shatters his family and his own sense of his place in the world. Efron's Charlie is a lost young man, dedicated to the aftereffects of the tragic accident, and turns from promising young upstart to pitiable recluse--so reclusive that he lives and works at the local graveyard. The entire cast is wonderful, and they put their hearts into the sad, yet ultimately uplifting story. Young Charlie Tahan is winsome as Charli! e's younger brother, Sam. Kim Basinger, too long away from the big screen, is grounded and believable as the boys' hard-working single mom. Ray Liotta plays a memorable cameo as a paramedic who helps save Charlie after the accident. And Amanda Crew is spunky and adorable as the independent young sailor with a secret crush on Charlie--the "old" Charlie, who was still interested in embracing life--and with possibly the only lifeline that Charlie might actually grab. The chemistry between Efron and Crew is sparkly, and Efron fans will enjoy seeing their idol in more mature love scenes. But not too mature--the raciest of the romance scenes involves Efron (not Crew) taking off his shirt--to fans' delight. If Charlie St. Cloud isn't too original in its plotting, nor especially crisp in its direction, it doesn't matter--Efron's screen appeal is plenty to propel both the story and the action. Efron fans of all ages will enjoy watching the young actor begin the process of gro! wing up--just a bit--onscreen. --A.T. HurleyCharlie St.! Cloud h as been given the gift of seeing his deceased brother, but when a new love interest is in trouble he must choose between saving a life or continuing to see his brother everyday. Director: Burr Steers Writers: Craig Pearce (screenplay), Lewis Colick (screenplay), and 1 more credit » Stars: Zac Efron, Kim Basinger and Charlie Tahan17 AGAIN - DVD MovieZac Efron breaks free of his High School Musical legacy with 17 Again, leading a pack of fine comic actors in a body-switching comedy that freshens the genre with good ideas. Efron plays Mike, a high-school basketball star who blows a college scholarship in 1989 to marry his sweetheart. Cut to 2009, and late-30s Mike (Matthew Perry) is a sour guy passed over for a promotion and feeling estranged from that wife, Scarlett (Leslie Mann), and teen kids (Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight). Magical intervention causes Mike to turn 17 once more--albeit in the present--and tackle his failures with a fresh start. As the hot new kid in his children's high school, Mike proves a better father to them as their peer than as a man, while Scarlett sees in him everything that attracted her to her husband two decades before. Writer Jason Filardi and director Burr Steers demonstrate an imaginative and supple! wit in such half-expected scenes as Mike's confrontations with a school bully and his unsuspecting daughter's flirtations with him. But it's Efron who carries some truly delicate moments and proves to be genuinely sympathetic when emotions get thick and heavy. Thomas Lennon is also entertaining as a wealthy Star Wars nerd who pretends to be Mike's father, but his slightly excessive screen time suggests the filmmakers weren't entirely sure Efron could do what needed to be done. If so, they were mistaken. --Tom Keogh

Smiling Fish & Goat on Fire - Movie Poster 28"x41"