FREAKY FRIDAY
Disney DVD

- This is one of the funniest and most charming movies to open this year. It's a new millennium clash of the generations that focuses on female anguish and power with loads of laugh-out-loud laughs! Dr. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her teenage daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) are always fighting about something. Anna is a stubborn about her clothes, friends, boys and her true passion -- her rock band. Tess, a therapist, is about to marry nice guy (Mark Harmon) and everything explodes when Anna's band has their first real gig the night of the rehearsal dinner. During an argument at their favorite Chinese restaurant, mother and daughter open a magical fortune cookie and the next morning, they've switched places. Oh horror! Now each one has a chance to walk in the other's shoes and the laughs and the trouble begin. Tess discovers that Anna still mourns her deceased dad, has a crush on a motorcycle riding older teen and the date for the rock gig. Anna discovers that mom's fiance is concerned about making the family happy and that her mom spends her days helping everyone else with their problems. It's a wild, crazy time and will entertain the entire family!

The disc includes two versions of the film -- theatrical and full screen, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, a backstage pass with Lindsay Lohan, alternate endings and deleted scenes, hysterical bloopers and much more. This is a film that you'll enjoy over and over again!

BAD BOYS II
Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment

- Martin Lawrence ("Big Momma's House") and Will Smith ("Independence Day", "Men In Black") reunite in the duo's first movie franchise. This big-budget action series that follows two cops on a drug task force as they cowboy their way around Miami chasing bold, deadly dope smugglers was a favorite with audiences eight years ago and fans will enjoy this sequel because it's bigger and more exciting! Marcus (Lawrence) and Mike (Smith) are chasing a shipment of Ecstasy when they stumble upon an undercover DEA operation headed by Syd (Gabrielle Union) Burnett. She is Marcus's sister from New York City and Mike's secret lover. Syd is posing as a money launder for a crooked nightclub owner (Peter Stormane "Fargo") and eventually meets a vicious Cuban drug lord played by Jordi Molla. Marcus and Mike insist on protecting Syd and eventually they have to secretly enter Cuba to rescue her.

The two disc Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound DVD is stuff with exciting and informative info about the making of the film. Unlike a look of extras, these featurettes about the stunts and visualization of the film are incredibly detailed and worth watching. Director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are the best action filmmakers in the business and "Bad Boys II" has some of the most thrilling stunts in recent history. The highway chase scene alone raises the bar in this field. There are deleted scenes, interviews with the latest tech experts, a Jay Z music video and amazing stunt and sequence breakdowns of the film. This is an awesome look at the new advances by the best in Hollywood and you won't be bored!

ALIAS: The Complete Second Season
Buena Vista Home Entertainment

- The second season of this kick-ass series is more exciting than the first! Sydney Bistrow (played by the long-legged lovely Jennifer Garner) not only knows that her mother, Irina (Lena Olin) is alive but when she surrenders to the CIA, "mom" enters her life like a rash. Michael (Michael Vartan) finally reveals his true feelings and Will, Sydney's naive friend, becomes her confidant. Things are also getting complicated at CD6 too. Sydney's arch enemy Sloane (Ron Rifkin) deals with his own personal loss as double dealing criminal activity kicks into high gear. And, just when it couldn't get any more bizarre, the CIA directly attacks its lethal enemy while Sydney's dad (Victor Garber) tries to protect his daughter on a daily basis.

- Jennifer Garner is awesome and her emotional portrayal of Sydney's intense, scary double life provides the opportunity for the young actress to show her stellar acting ability. Lena Olin and other classy cameos by Rutger Hauer, Ethan Hawk, Christan Slater and Faye Dunaway. This is a riveting, ultra-thrilling series with many twists and plot turns that breathlessly wings its way around the globe as Sydney fights the Alliance.

- The six-disc set includes tons of extra like an amusing blooper reel, numerous audio commentary interviews that give the audience a behind the scenes look and provide more information about the development of the show. Other featurettes include "the Look of Alias," "The Making of The Telling," deleted scenes, "The Making of the Video Game" and DVD-ROM script scanner. You'll treasure this collection because this is one of the best shows on television!

EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS
Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

- Adam Sandler's "Eight Crazy Nights" is the 'Bad Santa' of the animated world! It's the comic's heart-warming, dark look at life where the little guy gets stepped on and screams. Sandler stars as Davey Stone, an angry, disgruntled fellow in a small town who can't face another Christmas alone. Of course, he doesn't talk about this or the horrible event in his past. Instead, he spreads ill-will everywhere but his old coach, Whitey believes there is still hope for him. First, he vouches for Davey to keep him out of jail and later, after Davey's trailer burns down, he and his sister Eleanore share their home with Davey. Whitey is always cheerful even though he's ignored by most of the townspeople and earns very little money. He's a decent guy and a good influence for Davey and his childhood friend, Jennifer who is now a single mom. This is a touching, funny film. Finally, Davey's heart is touched by Whitey's kindness.

Sandler and pals like Jon Lovitz and Rob Schneider create a lovely world with a bent sense of humor. Where are you going to see an 70 year-old-man pushed into a portable pot, pushed off a cliff and emerge covered in human waste? Or deer with waste in their teeth? This film is not for little kids! People curse, spit, puke and release all their anguish. No one holds back their misery or anger and it is refreshing and shocking! Clearly Adam Sandler is expressing a lot of the deep feelings about the hits he's taken in life -- esp. from critics -- but he also gives voice to 'everyman.' This is a gem and the best of Sandler's wacky humor!

The two-disc set includes loads of audio commentaries, interviews and a look at the development of the animated characters and town. There are 9 featurettes, a "Chanukah Song" music video, a short film called "A Day with the Meatball," NBA TV spot, deleted scenes with commentary and much, much more. You'll love it!

Edited by Veronica Mixon
images courtesy of Buena Vista, Columbia Tri-Star and Disney.

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