Chicago (Full Screen Edition)

• Full Screen

Formed in its namesake city in 1967, Chicago is the first American band ever to chart albums in Billboardr's Pop Top 40 in five consecutive decades. In 2002, Rhino entered into a long-term partnership with this extraordinary group to restore their extensive, genre-defying catalogue as well as develop new projects (such as 2006's XXX, their first new studio album in a decade). Now Rhino adds to Chicago's legacy and salutes their 40th anniversary with a newly compiled 2-CD collection that spans their entire recording history, from the stellar 1969 debut LP Chicago Transit Authority to Chicago XXX. With a career encompassing five consecutive #1 albums, 13 platinum albums, 21 Top 10 singles, and many other laurels, Chicago is among the most successfully charting American groups of all time.Winner of six Academy Awards(R) (2003) including Best Picture, and starring Academy Award nomine! e (Best Actress, CHICAGO) and Golden Globe winner (Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Renée Zellweger (BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY), Academy Award winner (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Catherine Zeta-Jones (TRAFFIC), Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Queen Latifah (BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE), Golden Globe winner (Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Richard Gere (UNFAITHFUL), and Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actor, CHICAGO) John C. Reilly (GANGS OF NEW YORK) -- CHICAGO is a dazzling spectacle cheered by audiences and critics alike! At a time when crimes of passion result in celebrity headlines, nightclub sensation Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) and spotlight-seeking Roxie Hart (Zellweger) both find themselves sharing space on Chicago's famed Murderess Row! They also share Billy Flynn (Gere), the town's slickest lawyer with a talent for turning notorious defendants into local legends. But in Chicago, there's only room for one legend!! Also starring Lucy Liu (CHARLIE'S ANGELS).Bob Fosse's sexy cy! nicism s till shines in Chicago, a faithful movie adaptation of the choreographer-director's 1975 Broadway musical. Of course the story, all about merry murderesses and tabloid fame, is set in the Roaring '20s, but Chicago reeks of '70s disenchantment--this isn't just Fosse's material, it's his attitude, too. That's probably why the movie's breathless observations on fleeting fame and fickle public taste already seem dated. However, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones are beautifully matched as Jazz Age vixens, and Richard Gere gleefully sheds his customary cool to belt out a showstopper. (Yes, they all do their own singing and dancing.) Whatever qualms musical purists may have about director Rob Marshall's cut-cut-cut style, the film's sheer exuberance is intoxicating. Given the scarcity of big-screen musicals in the last 25 years, that's a cause for singing, dancing, cheering. And all that jazz. --Robert HortonOut-of-print in the US. Subtitled - Only The ! Beginning. Double disc with 39 hit singles spanning Chicago's complete 35-year history. Including the #1 singles 'If You Leave Me Now,' 'Hard To Say I'm Sorry' and 'Look Away'. Booklet features detailed liner notes by Bill DeYoung. Rhino RecordsFrom the perspective of 15 subsequent platinum albums and 20 top-10 hits, it's hard to imagine that Chicago began their career as a bona fide prog-fusion act, an early FM radio favorite whose jazz-tinged, album-length suites found them a hip cult following even as they confounded label execs. Ironically, when the pioneering horn band (a contemporary of Blood, Sweat & Tears and inspiration for one-hit wonders like Lighthouse, Ides of March, and Ten Wheel Drive) relented and allowed their music to be edited down to single length, their success was explosive. Most of the "single edits" on disc 1 of this 39-track anthology provide ample evidence of that de facto formula: a catchy riff ("25 or 6 to 4," "Saturday in the Park," "Color My Wo! rld") develops into a hook-filled, pop-savvy production rife w! ith the band's trademark horn perfection. One could argue that that sensibility--and a midcareer tilt toward producer David Foster, songwriter Diane Warren, and the MOR ballads that became some of their biggest successes--degenerated into formula. Indeed, there's much on the second disc to support that notion. This set spans it all, showcasing newly refocused edits of some their biggest early hits and lesser-known tracks like their lively '95 cross-cultural collaboration with the Gipsy Kings on a cover of Louis Prima's swing classic "Sing, Sing, Sing." --Jerry McCulleyChicago XXXIII, "O Christmas Three" was produced by Phil Ramone. 14 bona fide smash hit holiday favorites, all "Chicago-ized" in classic form. Guest artists include Dolly Parton, Bebe Winans, and more! This OFFICIAL listing was made directly by the band. It is the ONLY legitimate source for the album on Amazon.Winner of six Academy Awards(R) (2003) including Best Picture, and starring Academy Award nominee! (Best Actress, CHICAGO) and Golden Globe winner (Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Renée Zellweger (BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY), Academy Award winner (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Catherine Zeta-Jones (TRAFFIC), Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Queen Latifah (BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE), Golden Globe winner (Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Richard Gere (UNFAITHFUL), and Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actor, CHICAGO) John C. Reilly (GANGS OF NEW YORK) -- CHICAGO is a dazzling spectacle cheered by audiences and critics alike! At a time when crimes of passion result in celebrity headlines, nightclub sensation Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) and spotlight-seeking Roxie Hart (Zellweger) both find themselves sharing space on Chicago's famed Murderess Row! They also share Billy Flynn (Gere), the town's slickest lawyer with a talent for turning notorious defendants into local legends. But in Chicago, there's only room for one legend! ! Also starring Lucy Liu (CHARLIE'S ANGELS).Bob Fosse's sexy cyn! icism st ill shines in Chicago, a faithful movie adaptation of the choreographer-director's 1975 Broadway musical. Of course the story, all about merry murderesses and tabloid fame, is set in the Roaring '20s, but Chicago reeks of '70s disenchantment--this isn't just Fosse's material, it's his attitude, too. That's probably why the movie's breathless observations on fleeting fame and fickle public taste already seem dated. However, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones are beautifully matched as Jazz Age vixens, and Richard Gere gleefully sheds his customary cool to belt out a showstopper. (Yes, they all do their own singing and dancing.) Whatever qualms musical purists may have about director Rob Marshall's cut-cut-cut style, the film's sheer exuberance is intoxicating. Given the scarcity of big-screen musicals in the last 25 years, that's a cause for singing, dancing, cheering. And all that jazz. --Robert Horton

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The Astronaut Farmer

• All systems are "Go" for Charles Farmer. He's faced bank foreclosure, neighborhood naysayers and a government alarmed by his huge purchase of high-grade fuel, but now he's ready to blast into space inside the homemade rocket he built in his barn. Just be home in time for dinner, Charlie.Billy Bob Thornton portrays Charlie in this charmer about chasing dreams.and about what it means to be a family

All systems are "Go" for Charles Farmer. He's faced bank foreclosure, neighborhood naysayers and a government alarmed by his huge purchase of high-grade fuel, but now he's ready to blast into space inside the homemade rocket he built in his barn. Just be home in time for dinner, Charlie. Billy Bob Thornton portrays Charlie in this charmer about chasing dreams...and about what it means to be a family. 10,000 pounds of rocket fuel alone can't lift Charlie into the heavens. He needs a launch/recovery cr! ew, and he has one of the best: his wife (Virginia Madsen) and children, dreamers all. They have liftoff. Our spirits have uplift. Gravity cannot hold down our dreams. The Astronaut Farmer is that kind of movie.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Outtakes

If you can give The Astronaut Farmer the big, bounding leap of faith it requires, you'll probably enjoy this good-natured film about the importance of holding on to your dreams. The title character (and the dreamer in question) is Charlie Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton), a Texas ranch owner and former aeronautics engineer who's got a homemade rocket in his barn and a dream to blast into space. Even though Charlie's deeply in debt and threatened with foreclosure, his wife (Virginia Madsen) and kids are deeply supportive of Charlie's Earth-orbit mission, even when he attracts the glaring attention of a seasoned Air Force colonel (played by Bruce Willis, in an uncredited role), the FAA, the FBI, a! nd the national media. "If we don't have our dreams, we have n! othing," says Charlie at a particularly desperate impasse, and this loopy, offbeat, and unabashedly sentimental drama embraces that message with disarming sincerity.

Suspension of disbelief is a challenge when the movie glosses over so many of its logistical details (like, where does one buy an old NASA space capsule?), and in trying for a kind of Capra-esque, eccentrically Western spin on the American dream, the Polish twins--director Michael and cowriter/actor Mark (making their mainstream debut after such indie hits as Twin Falls, Idaho and Northfork)--are only marginally successful in making Charlie's ambition genuinely believable. The film works much better as a kind of post space-age fable for families, and it's just involving enough to make its climax emotionally rewarding, mostly because Thornton, Madsen, and their costars (including Bruce Dern and Tim Blake Nelson) handle the delicate material with the earnestness it needs to be marginally convincing. Elton! John's "Rocket Man" is predictably heard over the closing credits (accordingly, Charlie's launch-time is "zero hours, nine a.m."), and at a time when several adventurous entrepreneurs (including Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos) are gradually developing a civilian space-flight industry, The Astronaut Farmer is an admirable yet forgivably flawed reminder that we should never stop reaching for the stars. --Jeff Shannon

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Battle in Seattle

• In November of 1999, Seattle broke into a full-scale state of emergency as thousands of peaceful protestors gathered in resistance to the World Trade Organization. The city s mayor, a SWAT cop on the streets and his pregnant wife, and four demonstrators are caught in the crossfire as their lives intersect in the ensuing riots. Stuart Townsend, in his debut writing and directing role, seamlessly me

In November of 1999, Seattle broke into a full-scale state of emergency as thousands of peaceful protestors gathered in resistance to the World Trade Organization. The city?s mayor, a SWAT cop on the streets and his pregnant wife, and four demonstrators are caught in the crossfire as their lives intersect in the ensuing riots. Stuart Townsend, in his debut writing and directing role, seamlessly merges actual footage of the devastating chaos with brilliant performances.
For five days in 1999, all! eyes were on Seattle. Irish actor Stuart Townsend makes his directorial debut with a multi-character recreation of the World Trade Organization’s ill-fated U.S. conference. If the structure recalls Crash and Babel, Townsend intensifies the you-are-there quality through well-integrated archival footage. The docudrama opens with the arrival of a group of anti-globalization activists, led by Jay (The Ring's Martin Henderson), whose compatriots include Lou (Lost's Michelle Rodriguez) and Django (Outkast's André "3000" Benjamin, who provides a welcome dose of humor). As fictional Mayor Jim Tobin (Ray Liotta, wearing a touch too much eyeliner) tries to maintain order, TV reporter Jean (Connie Nielsen) strives for objectivity, police officer Woody Harrelson attempts to carry out the mayor's orders, and Dale's pregnant wife, Ella (Charlize Theron, Townsend's real-life girlfriend), just hopes to make it home in one piece (she gets stuck downtown at th! e height of the skirmish). Townsend admits he was inspired by ! Mediu m Cool, which filmmaker Haskell Wexler shot during 1968's Democratic National Convention. Paul Greengrass's Bloody Sunday also seems like a possible influence, and Greengrass regular Barry Ackroyd serves as cinematographer. If the characters rarely come alive the way they should, the action sequences easily convince, which is particularly impressive considering the bulk of filming took place in nearby Vancouver, B.C. A true labor of love, Battle in Seattle presents a more balanced view than most accounts to date--even if Townsend ultimately (and understandably) sides with the peaceful protesters and passionate Third World representatives. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Berkley Gulp! Alive! Jumbo Leech/Minnow Assortment Bucket 12.7 Ounce, 5-Inch/3-Inch, Assortment

• Assorted colors to match a variety of fishing conditions
• Minnow in black shad and smelt
• Outfishes, outlasts live leeches and minnows
• Always available, always in season

A small time crook doesn't realize he is the bait in a sneaky government scheme to capture a killer.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 4-FEB-2003
Media Type: DVDWhen petty thief and hustler Alvin Sanders (Jamie Foxx from Any Given Sunday and The Wood) gets arrested for stealing shrimp, the worst of his problems would seem to be going to jail. Unfortunately, he ends up sharing a cell with a guy who, while stealing $42 million in gold from the Federal Reserve, double-crossed his partner--a partner with a knack for computers and a long memory. While being interrogated by a hardball Treasury agent (David Morse from The Green ! Mile), the double-crosser dies from heart failure. All the feds have are an incomprehensible message that was left with Alvin, so they decide to release him and use him as bait to catch the partner by secretly implanting a combination tracking device and electronic bug into Alvin's jaw. From that moment on, a surveillance team can follow Alvin's every move and hear his every word. Unfortunately, Alvin has a talent for getting into trouble--which means that the feds have to become his guardian angels so that he can serve his purpose. Bait certainly has its problems (there's a lot of fancy editing for no good reason, a few plot holes you could drive a truck through, and the actor playing the bad guy really wishes he was John Malkovich)--but even though it's nonsense, it's not predictable. The clever story moves along with surprising efficiency and has some successful comic bits. The characters can't be called well developed, but they aren't clichés; the movie does! n't require any great acting, but the cast is consistently eng! aging. I n fact, Bait is one of the more enjoyable action movies of the past few years. --Bret Fetzer Diego has gotten into trouble because of his temper before. But when he punches out a guy at school who was looking at him funny, he finds himself in juvenile court, facing the possibility of probation, or worseâ€"juvenile jail. Diego doesn’t trust or like Mr. Vidas, his assigned probation officer. But it’s either talk to Mr. Vidas, or end up in worse trouble. When Diego eventually opens up to Mr. Vidas, he begins to understand that the source of his anger is buried in his pastâ€"and to move beyond it, he must stop running from his personal demons.The Jumbo Leech and Minnow assortment has a natural presentation in action, scent and taste, Gulp! Alive! Bait absorbs up to 20% more fish attractant by weight, assorted colors match a variety of fishing conditions, "recharge" bait by placing used bait back in powerful Gulp! Alive! attractant

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2-Year SquareTrade Warranty plus Accident Protection for Kindle Fire, US customers only

• Accidental damage coverage starts on day 1 and lasts for 2 years from your Kindle purchase date (for pre-orders, accidental damage coverage starts after your device ships)
• Extends mechanical and electrical breakdown coverage to the 2nd year of ownership
• NO DEDUCTIBLES or fees for any claims made on your Kindle
• Make up to 3 claims during the term of your warranty
• Available for Kindles purchased on Amazon.com or from offline retailers within the last 30 days

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Book of Shadows: Blair Witch Project 2 - Movie Poster - 30 X 40

• Brand New Original 2000 Theatrical Release UK Quad Movie Poster
• New and Unused
• Double Sided.

This thoroughly second-rate follow-up to the groundbreaking (and highly profitable) horror flick The Blair Witch Project--produced by Blair Witch directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez--plays with the notions of reality and fantasy that surrounded the hype of the original movie, and attempts to throw in some scares along the way. A year after the release of the original film, a group of five Blair Witch aficionados--four out-of-towners led by one seriously unhinged "tour guide"--venture into the woods outside Burkittsville, Maryland, on a tour of the sites made famous by missing documentarians Heather, Mike, and Josh. After a drunken night of camping out in hopes of communing with the spirit of the Blair Witch, the five wake up to find that their seemingly innocent s! leep may have been disturbed somehow. But what exactly happened? If you're expecting suspense of the first degree and a horrifying payoff similar to the one that climaxed the first film, you'll be sorely disappointed. After retreating to an old, run-down broom factory (get it? Broom factory? Blair Witch? Oh well...), the five go over their videotapes of the night in question to get some answers, and basically wind up screaming at each other for the remainder of the film, and shedding some blood along the way. Documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (of the highly acclaimed Paradise Lost and Brother's Keeper) proves that he should definitely stick to nonfiction filmmaking, and the entire cast is grating and unpleasant, aside from a scene-stealing turn by Kim Director as a goth chick with attitude to burn and a no-nonsense approach to this Blair Witch stuff. Strictly for hard-core Blair Witch fans only, and even then this sequel may prove to disappoint. --! Mark Englehart IN OCTOBER 1994, THREE STUDENT FILMMAKERS D! ISAPPEAR ED
IN THE WOODS NEAR BURKITTSVILLE, MARYLAND,
WHILE SHOOTING A DOCUMENTARY...

FIVE YEARS LATER, THE FILM THEY SHOT BECAME
ONE OF THE MOST PROFITABLE MOTION PICTURES IN HISTORY.

People across America were stunned by the runaway success of "The Blair Witch Project(TM) " -- none more so than the residents of Burkittsville. Suddenly the little western Maryland farming village was flooded with tourists seeking mementos of the fabled Blair Witch. Road signs disappeared, backpackers clogged local hiking trails, graveyards filled with enthusiasts trying for a firsthand glimpse of the supernatural.

While most Burkittsville residents -- in particular Sheriff Ron Cravens -- were angered by this wave of visitors, others took a more pragmatic approach. Like Jeff Patterson, who started up a business called the Blair Witch Hunt. At first, Patterson simply sold caps, T-shirts, and coffee mugs over the Internet. Then he decided to lead a group of four tourists into th! e Black Hills himself.

If you saw the film "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, " you know what happened to Jeff Patterson, Kim Diamond, Stephen Ryan Parker, Tristen Ryler, and Erica Geerson.

BUT YOU ONLY KNOW HALF THE STORY UNTIL YOU READ THIS BOOK.

Compiled with the aid of noted paranormal journalist D.A. Stern, the material gathered herein reveals:

The secrets hidden in Jeff Patterson's troubled past The research Stephen and Tristen conducted for their book "The Blair Witch: Hysteria or History?" The eerie similarity between the Blair Witch and the little-known seventheenth-century legend of Bloody Sam Caine The genesis of the Blair Witch HuntPhotos and news reports relating to the caseThis thoroughly second-rate follow-up to the groundbreaking (and highly profitable) horror flick The Blair Witch Project--produced by Blair Witch directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez--plays with the notions of reality and fantasy that surrounded the hype of ! the original movie, and attempts to throw in some scares along! the way . A year after the release of the original film, a group of five Blair Witch aficionados--four out-of-towners led by one seriously unhinged "tour guide"--venture into the woods outside Burkittsville, Maryland, on a tour of the sites made famous by missing documentarians Heather, Mike, and Josh. After a drunken night of camping out in hopes of communing with the spirit of the Blair Witch, the five wake up to find that their seemingly innocent sleep may have been disturbed somehow. But what exactly happened? If you're expecting suspense of the first degree and a horrifying payoff similar to the one that climaxed the first film, you'll be sorely disappointed. After retreating to an old, run-down broom factory (get it? Broom factory? Blair Witch? Oh well...), the five go over their videotapes of the night in question to get some answers, and basically wind up screaming at each other for the remainder of the film, and shedding some blood along the way. Documentary filmmaker Joe B! erlinger (of the highly acclaimed Paradise Lost and Brother's Keeper) proves that he should definitely stick to nonfiction filmmaking, and the entire cast is grating and unpleasant, aside from a scene-stealing turn by Kim Director as a goth chick with attitude to burn and a no-nonsense approach to this Blair Witch stuff. Strictly for hard-core Blair Witch fans only, and even then this sequel may prove to disappoint. --Mark Englehart Original 2000 Theatrical Release British Quad Movie Poster.
Measures 30" x 40" (inches)
The poster is double sided, rolled, and unused and will be shipped to you packed in plastic tubing and then inside strong pvc pipe for maximum protection.

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The Hawk Is Dying Poster Movie French 11x17

• Approx. Size: 11 x 17 Inches - 28cm x 44cm
• Size is provided by the manufacturer and may not be exact
• The Amazon image in this listing is a digital scan of the poster that you will receive
• The Hawk Is Dying 11 x 17 Inches French Style A Mini Poster
• Packaged with care and shipped in sturdy reinforced packing material

First paperback printing of Crews' second book.When stricken with a family tragedy george becomes obsessed with taming a wild red-tail hawk. In a tour-de-force performance he locks himself into a battle of wills with a fierce creature that would rather die than succumb. Studio: Strand Releasing Release Date: 05/29/2007 Starring: Paul Giamatti Michael Pitt Run time: 106 minutes Rating: UrEverybody wanted something from George Gattling...They wanted sex and new seat covers, money and confessions, a little bit of love and a lot of answers. That's w! hy George liked his hawk. All it asked of him was an opportunity to kill.The Hawk Is Dying reproduction Approx. Size: 11 x 17 Inches - 28cm x 44cm French Style A mini poster print

Pop Culture Graphics, Inc is Amazon's largest source for movie and TV show memorabilia, posters and more: Offering tens of thousands of items to choose from. We also offer a full selection of framed posters..

Customer satisfaction is always guaranteed when you buy from Pop Culture Graphics,Inc

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CONNOR Street Sign Great Gift Idea 100's of names to choose from!

• Sign Size: 4"x 18"
• Brand New, Top Quality Sign
• Great for Indoors or Outdoors
• Proudly Manufactured in the U.S.A.
• Makes a Great Gift!

When 15-year-old Owen (Alex Linz) meets Congressman Lawrence Connor (Steven Weber) at his middle-school graduation, the bookish, friendless boy is flattered to be offered a junior position with Connor`s senatorial campaign. Owen befriends the congressman`s young nephew, Caleb, and as his involvement in the campaign grows, Owen`s innocence is shattered as he discovers the dark underbelly of politics, where business and politics share more than financial interests, and idealism and innocence rarely go unpunished.

Are you a frustrated parent trying to bring up an adolescent?
Are you a frustrated adolescent trying to bring up your parent?

When Shit Happens!!! Learn how to move through the limiting thoughts and into your ! own power with the intent to prosper.
Take control of your life. You are the key to unlocking your creative free will. Take command of the only thing you can, in an uncertain world, YOU.

Now is your chance to help create your own world.

Quit the struggle

Understand the reason why shit happens

Find your self choosing to create your own reality

Can you feel that the structures of the old society are being rocked!! There are real changes in how we see ourselves fitting into the new world. Now is the time to embrace the changes and choose your future!

Change is inevitable you can choose to
This
     Sink
Or that
     Swim

"Are you a frustrated parent trying to bring up an adolescent?Are you a frustrated adolescent trying to bring up your parent?
When Shit Happens!!! Learn how to move through the limiting thoughts and into your own power with the intent to ! prosper. Take control of your life. You are the key to unlocki! ng your creative free will. Take command of the only thing you can, in an uncertain world, YOU.
Now is your chance to help create your own world.
Quit the struggle
Understand the reason why shit happens
Find your self choosing to create your own reality
Can you feel that the structures of the old society are being rocked!! There are real changes in how we see ourselves fitting into the new world. Now is the time to embrace the changes and choose your future!
Change is inevitable you can choose to This     Sink Or that     Swim"
"Are you a frustrated parent trying to bring up an adolescent?Are you a frustrated adolescent trying to bring up your parent?
When Shit Happens!!! Learn how to move through the limiting thoughts and into your own power with the intent to prosper. Take control of your life. You are the key to unlocking your creative free will. Take command of the only thing you can, in an uncertain world, YOU.
Now is your chance! to help create your own world.
Quit the struggle
Understand the reason why shit happens
Find your self choosing to create your own reality
Can you feel that the structures of the old society are being rocked!! There are real changes in how we see ourselves fitting into the new world. Now is the time to embrace the changes and choose your future!
Change is inevitable you can choose to This     Sink Or that     Swim"
This sign is 4"x18" and made with an exterior grade PVC plastic and printed with the best inks in the industry. Perfect for outdoor use for over 5 years or will look great inside. No rusting or fading indoors or out. The sign come with round corners and 2 holes for easy mounting. We carry 1000's of different signs to choose from. You can't go wrong with a ZANYSIGNS Street Sign, the ultimate gift for any occasion!

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Duma (Full Screen Edition)

• Carroll Ballard (The Black Stallion, Fly Away Home) directs the exciting story of 12-year-old Xan (Alexander Michaletos), who decides to return the cheetah he raised from a cub to the wild instead of allowing pursuers to place it in captivity. Harsh South African landscapes, stalking lions, crocodiles, river rapids and a mysterious drifter (Eamonn Walker) who may intend to turn the big cat in for

Carroll Ballard (The Black Stallion, Fly Away Home) directs the exciting story of 12-year-old Xan (Alexander Michaletos), who decides to return the cheetah he raised from a cub to the wild instead of allowing pursuers to place it in captivity. Harsh South African landscapes, stalking lions, crocodiles, river rapids and a mysterious drifter (Eamonn Walker) who may intend to turn the big cat in for cash - all will test Xan's courage and resolve. Join him in this tale of growing up and letting go. It's ! a journey you won't want to miss.This African tale follow the rhythms of director Carroll Ballard's earlier films The Black Stallion and Fly Away Home, namely a child is drawn into the mysteries and magic of an animal. Xan (newcomer Alexander Michaletos) is a 12-year-old living in South Africa with his parents (Campbell Scott and Hope Davis, who appeared as a much different couple three years earlier in The Secret Life of Dentists) when they find an abandoned baby cheetah. They bring it up as their own and name it the Swahili word for cheetah, Duma. After some time, the creature is too big to stay domesticated and Dad tells the boy they will have to journey back to Duma's home to set him free. A sickness makes the family pull up stakes and head to the city where Xan and Duma don't fare well. Xan must take Duma on his own to set him free. To tell more would be a crime. As with any Ballard film, the story is subtext, the visuals rule. First-time cinemato! grapher Werner Maritz fills the screen with the desert landsca! pe and i s able to capture the magnificent speed of the cheetah. Ballard's films seem to build on their own inertia, creating scenes that seem to be simply happening instead of scripted, although this often suffers in the balance of wonderment versus all-too-lucky occurrences. Based on the children's picture book/memoir How It Was with Dooms by Xan and Carol Cawthra Hopcraft, this is a film worth seeking out, especially for families and kids above 5 years old. --Doug Thomas

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