Abrams Sci

No Description Available.Genre: Soundtracks & ScoresMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 5-MAY-2009

Michael Giacchino is the rare composer who's graduated from video games (including the Medal of Honor series) to high-profile big-screen fare (The Incredibles). But the most important aspect of Giacchino's career may well be his collaboration with writer-director-producer J.J. Abrams, for whom he's scored Mission: Impossible III and the television hits Alias and Lost. The latter is a hybrid show--part mystery, part psychological drama, part science fiction--and thus requires a nimble composer who can switch moods quickly. Culled mostly in chronological order from the popular series' first season, this CD shows how the score contributes mightily to Lost's artistic success (Abrams himself composed the 16-second "Main Title.") Giacchino's signature move is an abrupt surge of low-throated trombones, which creates a deep-seated anxiety and raises the viewer's heart rate without fail (check out the end of "The Eyeland" for a typical example). But he deftly varies orchestrations and ambiences throughout, equally at ease in pulse-pounding dramatics ("Getting Ethan," "Run Away! Run Away!") and quieter atmospherics ("Thinking Clairely," "Booneral"). --Elisabeth Vincentelli

No Description Available.Genre: Soundtracks & ScoresMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 21-MAR-2006

Three very different roles from the Australian original. Conspiracy Theory; Forever Young; Maverick

This splatter flick, along with John Carpenter's Halloween, helped spawn the great horror-movie movement of the '80s, not to mentioneight sequels, many of which had nothing to do with the films that preceded them. It also gave birth to Jason Voorhees, one of the three biggest horror-movie psychos of the modern era (the other two being Halloween's Michael Myers and A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger). Forever duplicated, the original Friday the 13th popularized a number of themes and techniques that today are now clichés: the increasingly gory murders, the remote forest location, the anonymous and nubile cast, the murderer as cult hero, and, of course, the moral that if you have sex, you will die, very painfully. Still, if you have to see a Friday the 13th movie, this is the one to check out. A group of eager (and horny) teenagers decide to reopen Camp Crystal Lake, which 20 years earlier was closed after the shocking and mysterious murders of two amorous camp counselors. You can take it from there, as the teens get picked off one by one, during a dark and stormy night; of course, their car won't start and there's no phone. The ending stole shamelessly from Brian De Palma's Carrie, but it still provides a slight if campy shock. Look for a young Kevin Bacon as the requisite stud--you can tell that's what he is because when the cast appears in swimsuits, he's wearing a Speedo--who's the beneficiary of the film's best murder sequence, an arrowhead to the throat. Right after having sex, of course. --Mark Englehart

This is the first Friday the 13th movie.

Douglas Cheek's grotty urban horror fable C.H.U.D. deserves to be seen in its natural habitat--a Times Square grind-house theater--but horror enthusiasts will have to enjoy this widescreen version from the comforts of their own homes. John Heard stars as a former fashion photographer now pursuing a "real" career in photojournalism. While working on a piece about the homeless, he discovers that toxic waste, stashed in New York's sewer system, is turning tunnel squatters into the title acronym (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers). Teaming up with frazzled soup kitchen capo (and fellow Home Alone alumnus) Daniel Stern, Heard uncovers a government conspiracy behind the mutations; horror fans will know exactly how the government handles its uncovered wrongdoings. While Gary Sherman's Raw Meat (1973) remains the final word in homeless horror films, C.H.U.D. has a threadbare charm, thanks to Cheek's poker-faced direction, the endearingly slap-dash effects (courtesy John Caglione Jr. and Ed French), and game performances by a surprisingly A-list cast, including appearances by John Goodman, Jay Thomas, Patricia Richardson, and Jon Polito. Anchor Bay's DVD is uncut and retains all of the cutting-room footage added by New World Pictures to beef up the butchered TV version; furthermore, it features a rollicking commentary by Cheek, Heard, Stern, cast mate Christopher Curry, and writer Shephard Abbott, which is worth the purchase price alone. Easter-egg hunters should click on the C.H.U.D.'s glowing eyes in the main menu for a longer version of the grotesque shower scene. --Paul Gaita

Writer-director Sam Raimi's extremely stylized, blood-soaked follow-up to his creepy Evil Dead isn't really a sequel; rather, it's a remake on a better budget. It also isn't really a horror film (though there are plenty of decapitations, zombies, supernatural demons, and gore) as much as it is a hilarious, sophisticated slapstick send-up of the terror genre. Raimi takes every horror convention that exists and exaggerates it with mind-blowing special effects, crossed with mocking Three Stooges humor. The plot alone is a genre cliché right out of any number of horror films. Several teens (including our hero, Ash, played by Bruce Campbell in a manic tour-de-force of physical comedy) visit a broken-down cottage in the woods--miles from civilization--find a copy of the Book of the Dead, and unleash supernatural powers that gut every character in sight. All, that is, except Ash, who takes this very personally and spends much of the of the film getting his head smashed while battling the unseen forces. Raimi uses this bare-bones story as a stage to showcase dazzling special effects and eye-popping visuals, including some of the most spectacular point-of-view Steadicam work ever (done by Peter Deming). Although it went unnoticed in the theaters, the film has since become an influential cult-video favorite, paving the way for over-the-top comic gross-out films like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. --Dave McCoy

Few filmmakers have ever had a run at the tables like Steven Spielberg, whose output from 1971's Sugarland Express to, say, 1982's E.T. displayed an amazingly unforced melding of huge set pieces and small human gestures. Even at their most chaotic, they somehow felt organic. Super 8, writer-director J.J. Abrams's authorized tribute to classic Spielbergisms, hits all of the marks (Lived-in suburbia backdrop, check. Awestruck gazes upwards, check. Parental discord, check. Lens flares, amazingly huge check), but its adherence to the formula squelches much of its own potential. Appealing as it is to see a summer movie that retro-prioritizes character development over jittery quick-cut explosions, the viewer is always aware at how furiously it's working to seem effortless. Set in 1979, Abrams's script follows a group of movie-crazy kids attempting to make a zombie flick, only to have their plans cut short by a close encounter with a train derailment. As the military pours over the wreckage and neighbors start disappearing, the gang realizes that their footage contains a cameo appearance by an extremely grumpy guest star. For a film whose promotional campaign hinged so strongly on creating an air of mystery, Super 8 is a fairly straightforward melding of E.T. and Jurassic Park, albeit one featuring an oddly schizophrenic monster (he eats people… until he doesn't). Abrams makes his young cast shine (particularly when developing a hint of romance between leads Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning), while also providing a nice character arc for Kyle Chandler, as a widowed deputy who can see his relationship with his son slipping away. Aside from a few primo early jolts, however, the creature-feature aspects feel increasingly shoehorned in alongside the more assured coming-of-age elements. Abrams's film has more than enough bright spots to warrant a viewing, but its insistence on worshipfully following the master's playbook is a bit of a bummer. Imitation isn't always flattering. --Andrew Wright

In 1979, a group of small-town Ohio teenagers accidentally films a train wreck while making a Super 8 movie. The sudden arrival of the military and a series of bizarre occurrences prompt the kids to conduct their own investigation, leading them into the middle of a government cover-up of an extraterrestrial that crashed over 20 years earlier. But is the alien visitor friend or foe? Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler star in this sci-fi thriller from writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. 111 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, DVS, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes.

"Lost meets The X-Files" is a not inappropriate description of Fox TV's Fringe, especially considering that cocreator J.J. Abrams was also one of the Lost masterminds. But this ambitious and often exciting series (with all 22 episodes from its second season, plus plenty of bonus material, released here on six discs) merits more than that glib label. As before, the members of the Fringe Division, an obscure wing of the FBI barely recognized (and this season threatened with elimination) by the government at large, are the "cleanup crew" summoned when the universe is on the verge of shredding at the seams. Led by Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), brilliant but mad scientist Walter Bishop (with John Noble as the show's most appealing character), and Bishop's son Peter (Joshua Jackson), they investigate crimes and occurrences involving the seemingly inexplicable, ranging from garden-variety phenomena like ESP, mind control, and hypnosis to really strange stuff like "clairaudience" (receiving messages or thoughts from another realm), cryonics (as in frozen, disembodied heads), and the existence of a parallel universe. Once again there's also a healthy dose of scary monsters, including a hideous mutant who drags its victims underground before devouring them, a community of deformed victims of scientific tests gone awry, two-foot-long parasites with human hosts, and a walking shadow that renders whoever it passes through into dust and ash. But it all gets more personal for our three heroes this time around, as they realize that Walter's long-ago research and experiments had serious consequences not only for him (he spent 17 years locked up in a rubber room) but especially for Olivia and Peter, who must deal with shocking revelations about their childhoods. If Fringe has a weakness, it's that its reach sometimes exceeds its grasp. There are so many ideas here that overarching themes like "the Pattern" (a series of terrifying, synchronous events throughout the world) disappear for episodes at a time; the notion of "the other side," a parallel universe where things are largely similar but different in very peculiar details (JFK lived to be an old man, while the Department of Defense is housed beneath the Statue of Liberty), is introduced in the first episode but then rarely mentioned until the second half of the season, which culminates with the Fringe team traveling to the other side and confronting their alternate selves (fortunately, the final two episodes help tie up various loose ends from this season and set the stage for the next one). But a surfeit of good ideas is a lot better than a shortage of them, and the series is rarely less than interesting even when it loses its focus, and the direction, sets, special effects, and other technical elements are consistently excellent. As was the case the first time out, bonus material is generous and varied. It includes a newly "unearthed episode," audio commentary, deleted scenes, features like "The Mythology of Fringe" and "Analyzing the Scene" (brief explications of key scenes in six episodes), and more. --Sam Graham

All 22 episodes from the second season--including "A New Day in the Old Town," "Earthling," "The Bishop Revival," "Brown Betty," and the two-part "Over There"--are featured in a six-disc set. 16 hrs. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish; audio commentary; featurettes; gag reel; deleted scenes; bonus episode. **22 episodes on 6 discs. 16 hrs**

Few filmmakers have ever had a run at the tables like Steven Spielberg, whose output from 1971's Sugarland Express to, say, 1982's E.T. displayed an amazingly unforced melding of huge set pieces and small human gestures. Even at their most chaotic, they somehow felt organic. Super 8, writer-director J.J. Abrams's authorized tribute to classic Spielbergisms, hits all of the marks (Lived-in suburbia backdrop, check. Awestruck gazes upwards, check. Parental discord, check. Lens flares, amazingly huge check), but its adherence to the formula squelches much of its own potential. Appealing as it is to see a summer movie that retro-prioritizes character development over jittery quick-cut explosions, the viewer is always aware at how furiously it's working to seem effortless. Set in 1979, Abrams's script follows a group of movie-crazy kids attempting to make a zombie flick, only to have their plans cut short by a close encounter with a train derailment. As the military pours over the wreckage and neighbors start disappearing, the gang realizes that their footage contains a cameo appearance by an extremely grumpy guest star. For a film whose promotional campaign hinged so strongly on creating an air of mystery, Super 8 is a fairly straightforward melding of E.T. and Jurassic Park, albeit one featuring an oddly schizophrenic monster (he eats people… until he doesn't). Abrams makes his young cast shine (particularly when developing a hint of romance between leads Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning), while also providing a nice character arc for Kyle Chandler, as a widowed deputy who can see his relationship with his son slipping away. Aside from a few primo early jolts, however, the creature-feature aspects feel increasingly shoehorned in alongside the more assured coming-of-age elements. Abrams's film has more than enough bright spots to warrant a viewing, but its insistence on worshipfully following the master's playbook is a bit of a bummer. Imitation isn't always flattering. --Andrew Wright

In 1979, a group of small-town Ohio teenagers accidentally films a train wreck while making a Super 8 movie. The sudden arrival of the military and a series of bizarre occurrences prompt the kids to conduct their own investigation, leading them into the middle of a government cover-up of an extraterrestrial that crashed over 20 years earlier. But is the alien visitor friend or foe? Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler star in this sci-fi thriller from writer/director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. 112 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DVS, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish, Portuguese; audio commentary; featurettes; deleted scenes; bonus digital copy.

GILDAN ADULT HEAVY COTTON TEE 5.3 oz., 100% Cotton, preshrunk Cotton/10% Polyester). Seamless double-needle collar. Taped neck and shoulders. Double-needle sleeve and bottom hems. Any questions please call or email us. ...2T- 13" CHEST X 17" LENGTH ...3T- 14" CHEST X 18" LENGTH ...4T- 15" CHEST X 19" LENGTH ...YS- 16" CHEST X 20" LENGTH ...YM- 17" CHEST X 22" LENGTH ...YL- 18" CHEST X 24" LENGTH ...AS- 18" CHEST X 28" LENGTH ...AM- 20" CHEST X 29" LENGTH ...AL- 22" CHEST X 30" LENGTH ...XL- 24" CHEST X 31" LENGTH ...2X- 26" CHEST X 32" LENGTH ...3X- 28" CHEST X 33" LENGTH ...4X- 30" CHEST X 34" LENGTH ...5X- 32" CHEST X 35" LENGTH ...6X- 30" CHEST X 40" LENGTH

Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-creator Joe Shuster showcases rare and recently discovered erotic artwork by the most seminal artist in comics, Joe Shuster. Created in the early 1950s when Shuster was down on his luck after suing his publisher, DC Comics, over the copyright for Superman, he illustrated these images for an obscure series of magazines called "Nights of Horror," published under the counter until they were banned by the U.S. Senate. Juvenile deliquency, Dr. Fredric Wertham, and the Brooklyn Thrill Killers gang all figure into this sensational story.The discovery of this artwork reveals the "secret identity" of this revered comics creator, and is sure to generate controversy and change the perception of the way we look at Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen forever. The book includes reproductions of these images, and an essay that provides a detailed account of the scandal and the murder trial that resulted from the publication of this racy material."Jeepers, Mr. Kent!"--USA Today "Eye-opening…a compelling feat of literary sleuthing."--Publishers Weekly"A shocking expose"--National Enquirer "Startling. . . this fascinating collection adds a new dimension to a hidden history.”--Miami Herald Secret Identity is an incredible find of historic significance to comics art….—Library Journal

Jimmy is a stereotypical geek who works at the library in Oakland, California, and is trapped in his own torpidity. Sara is his best friend, but she wants to get a life (translation: an apartment in Brooklyn and a publishing internship). When Sara moves to New York City, Jimmy is rattled. Then lonely. Then desperate. He screws up his courage, writes Sara a letter about his true feelings, and asks her to meet him at the top of the Empire State Building (a nod to their ongoing debate about Sleepless in Seattle). Jimmy's cross-country bus trip to Manhattan is as hapless and funny as Jimmy himself. When he arrives in the city he's thought of as "a festering hellhole," he's surprised by how exciting he finds New York, and how heartbreaking—he discovers Sara has a boyfriend! Jason Shiga's bold visual storytelling, sly pokes at popular culture, and subtle text work together seamlessly in Empire State, creating a quirky graphic novel comedy about the vagaries of love and friendship.Praise for Empire State:"He [Shiga] displays a wicked sense of comic timing." -Publishers Weekly "Empire State: A Love Story (Or Not) is funny, sweet, geeky and affecting, and definitely worth a read." -Wired.com "Shiga's illustrations . . . are unique and endearing, and his images of NYC are instantly recognizable." -am New York "If Woody Allen grew up in Oakland rather than Manhattan, he'd most likely see the world, and especially New York City, as Jason Shiga does in Empire State." -Big Think.com

Fourier Transform Spectrometry is of immediate use to those who use Fourier transform spectrometers in their research, or are considering their use. The authors' presentations enable readers to obtain a clear understanding of FTS, which is crucial to their studies and research.Due to the increasing complexity and commercialization of instrumentation, achieving optimum performance in research applications and automated usage can be challenging. For example, a thorough understanding of the instrument can dramatically affect the outcome of the experiment and the generation of reliable data in applications where conditions are not ideal and resulting signals are weak. This book provides a comprehensive discussion of FTS from the ground up, covering basic concepts, instrumentation, data-processing algorithms, and techniques for computerized spectral analysis.

The Close Combat: First To Fight / Starship Troopers Bundle gives you a chance to battle for survival with the toughest soldiers around.