George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead

• From legendary frightmaster George A. Romero comes one of the most daring, hypnotic and absolutely vital horror films of the past decade (fangoria.com). Romero continues his influential Dead series, this time focusing on a terrified group of college film students who record the pandemic rise of flesh-eating zombies while struggling for their own survival. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR

From legendary frightmaster George A. Romero comes one of the most daring, hypnotic and absolutely vital horror films of the past decade (fangoria.com). Romero continues his influential Dead series, this time focusing on a terrified group of college film students who record the pandemic rise of flesh-eating zombies while struggling for their own survival. Intensely gruesome and relentlessly grisly fueled by the directors signature realistic special effects Diary of the Dead is must-see horror that is Romero a! t his finest (bloody-disgusting.com).George Romero has always come up with new ways of treating his zombies, and Diary of the Dead is no exception: Romero keeps his dead fresh, with an original approach to the undying subject. This one purports to be the video record of a group of young people who are shooting a low-budget horror movie when the terror strikes: corpses begin re-animating, intent on chewing the living. Our heroes trek across Pennsylvania, encountering the staggering zombies as they go. Other pieces of video are incorporated, which gives Romero a chance at some great set-pieces, including the brilliant opening sequence, a live local-TV feed that goes horribly, horribly wrong, and a home-video tape from a family birthday party, where the party clown turns out to be a dead ringer. All of Romero's Dead films are political, and this one's no exception, with a stark view of the way things are today; it doesn't offer the Hawksian heroics of the survivo! rs in Dawn of the Dead or Land of the Dead for c! omfort, just a group of bickering, shocked youths. There's too much talk about the detachment of watching things through a lens, but in general this is a bracing, intelligent movie. Plus, there's some excellent splatter. --Robert Horton

Gothika [Blu-ray]

• A brilliant and respected criminal psychologist, Dr. Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is an expert at knowing what is rational. Under the direction of her husband (Charles S. Dutton), Miranda treats dangerously disturbed patients at the Woodward Penitentiary for Women. But Miranda's life is thrust into terrifying jeopardy after a cryptic encounter with a mysterious young girl leads to a nightmare beyond

A brilliant and respected criminal psychologist, Dr. Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is an expert at knowing what is rational. Under the direction of her husband (Charles S. Dutton), Miranda treats dangerously disturbed patients at the Woodward Penitentiary for Women. But Miranda's life is thrust into terrifying jeopardy after a cryptic encounter with a mysterious young girl leads to a nightmare beyond her wildest imagination.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Music Video:Fred D! urst music video - "Behind Blue Eyes"
Theatrical Trailer:Fred Durst music video - "Behind Blue Eyes"

The title of Gothika prepares you for a spooky, atmospheric thriller with an emphasis on supernatural mystery. The best way to appreciate the movie itself is to understand that it's a waking nightmare that needn't make sense in the realm of sanity. Making a flashy Hollywood debut after his superior 2000 thriller Crimson Rivers, French actor-director Mathieu Kassovitz pours on the dark and stormy atmosphere, trapping a competent psychologist (Halle Berry) in the prison ward where she treated inmates (including Penelope Cruz) until she was committed for killing her husband (Charles S. Dutton), who was also her boss. Did a car crash cause her to suffer ghostly delusions, or is a young girl--dead for four years--sending clues from beyond the grave? Berry has to prove her innocence while Kassovitz keeps everything--including the viewer and costar Ro! bert Downey Jr. (as Berry's colleague)--in the dark about just! where t he nonsensical plot is leading. There's a better movie in here somewhere, among the catwalks and crannies of the impressive prison-castle setting, and Berry gives 100% in a performance that's consistent with the movie's overwrought tone. Attentive viewers will identify the killer early on, and the ending is anticlimactic, but Gothika serves up a few good shocks for ghost-story connoisseurs. --Jeff ShannonA brilliant and respected criminal psychologist, Dr. Miranda Grey (Halle Berry) is an expert at knowing what is rational. Under the direction of her husband (Charles S. Dutton), Miranda treats dangerously disturbed patients at the Woodward Penitentiary for Women. But Miranda's life is thrust into terrifying jeopardy after a cryptic encounter with a mysterious young girl leads to a nightmare beyond her wildest imagination.The title of Gothika prepares you for a spooky, atmospheric thriller with an emphasis on supernatural mystery. The best way to apprecia! te the movie itself is to understand that it's a waking nightmare that needn't make sense in the realm of sanity. Making a flashy Hollywood debut after his superior 2000 thriller Crimson Rivers, French actor-director Mathieu Kassovitz pours on the dark and stormy atmosphere, trapping a competent psychologist (Halle Berry) in the prison ward where she treated inmates (including Penelope Cruz) until she was committed for killing her husband (Charles S. Dutton), who was also her boss. Did a car crash cause her to suffer ghostly delusions, or is a young girl--dead for four years--sending clues from beyond the grave? Berry has to prove her innocence while Kassovitz keeps everything--including the viewer and costar Robert Downey Jr. (as Berry's colleague)--in the dark about just where the nonsensical plot is leading. There's a better movie in here somewhere, among the catwalks and crannies of the impressive prison-castle setting, and Berry gives 100% in a performance that'! s consistent with the movie's overwrought tone. Attentive view! ers will identify the killer early on, and the ending is anticlimactic, but Gothika serves up a few good shocks for ghost-story connoisseurs. --Jeff Shannon

The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D Poster Movie 11x17 David Arquette Cayden Boyd

• 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 Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D 11 x 17 Inches Style A Mini Poster
• Packaged with care and shipped in sturdy reinforced packing material

Another family adventure from the hit-making director of Spy Kids, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is non-stop fun and stars Hollywood favorites David Arquette, Kristin Davis, and George Lopez. Everyone always knew that Max had a wild imagination...but no one believed that his wildest creations- a boy raised by watchful great white sharks and a girl with the force of a volcano- were real! Now, these two pint-sized action masters will show Max that even an ordinary kid has what it takes to be extraordinary! Burstin! g with cool, eye-popping 3-D speacial effects- even the smallest dreamers can become the biggest heroes in this entertaining motion picture!Writer/director/editor/special-effects-supervisor Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, Desperado) continues to storm the movie world with The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D. A young boy named Max (Cayden Boyd) finds the real world crashing into his dreams: His parents fight, bullies harrass him at school, and his teacher advises him to get a grip on reality. But Max's faith in his fantasies is so strong that his superheroic creations SharkBoy (Taylor Lautner) and LavaGirl (Taylor Dooley) crash into Max's classroom and take him off to rescue the fantastic planet he dreamed up. Towards the end, SharkBoy and LavaGirl crumbles with clumsy story gaps and bland moral advice, but most of the movie explodes with visual invention. A clockwork villain with electrical limbs commands an army of extension-cord snakes; ! SharkBoy uses his claws to engrave a diagram of the solar syst! em into a chalkboard; LavaGirl's burning feet melt an ice bridge as she runs across it. It's disappointing that Rodriguez's storytelling flounders, but sections of deliciously fluid movie-making make The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D worth seeing nonetheless. Also featuring David Arquette (Eight Legged Freaks), Kristin Davis (Sex in the City), and George Lopez (Real Women Have Curves). --Bret FetzerThe story of Max, a 10-year-old outcast, who escapes his lonely world when his dreams magically come to life. Shunned by his classmates and forced to spend his summer vacation alone, Max and his two imaginary friends, Shark Boy, a half-breed of boy and shark who was raised by great whites, and Lava Girl, with flaming hair and hands that melt everything she touches, embark on a mission to prove to the world that all it takes is a dream to make anything a reality.

Director Robert Rodriguez reunites with composers John Debney ("Spy Kids," "! The Passion of the Christ," "Sin City") and Graeme Revell ("Sin City," "The Crow") to create an exciting, all-new score for his latest film adventure.Another family adventure from the hit-making director of SPY KIDS(TM), THE ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL is nonstop fun and stars Hollywood favorites David Arquette, Kristin Davis, and George Lopez. Everyone always knew that Max had a wild imagination ... but no one believed that his wildest creations -- a boy raised by watchful great white sharks and a girl with the force of a volcano -- were real! Now, these two pint-sized action masters will show Max that even an ordinary kid has what it takes to be extraordinary! Bursting with cool, eye-popping 3-D special effects -- even the smallest dreamers can become the biggest heroes in this entertaining motion picture!Writer/director/editor/special-effects-supervisor Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, Desperado) continues to storm the movie world with The Adventures ! of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D. A young boy named Max (Ca! yden Boy d) finds the real world crashing into his dreams: His parents fight, bullies harrass him at school, and his teacher advises him to get a grip on reality. But Max's faith in his fantasies is so strong that his superheroic creations SharkBoy (Taylor Lautner) and LavaGirl (Taylor Dooley) crash into Max's classroom and take him off to rescue the fantastic planet he dreamed up. Towards the end, SharkBoy and LavaGirl crumbles with clumsy story gaps and bland moral advice, but most of the movie explodes with visual invention. A clockwork villain with electrical limbs commands an army of extension-cord snakes; SharkBoy uses his claws to engrave a diagram of the solar system into a chalkboard; LavaGirl's burning feet melt an ice bridge as she runs across it. It's disappointing that Rodriguez's storytelling flounders, but sections of deliciously fluid movie-making make The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D worth seeing nonetheless. Also featuring David Arquette ! (Eight Legged Freaks), Kristin Davis (Sex in the City), and George Lopez (Real Women Have Curves). --Bret FetzerWriter/director/editor/special-effects-supervisor Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, Desperado) continues to storm the movie world with The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D. A young boy named Max (Cayden Boyd) finds the real world crashing into his dreams: His parents fight, bullies harrass him at school, and his teacher advises him to get a grip on reality. But Max's faith in his fantasies is so strong that his superheroic creations SharkBoy (Taylor Lautner) and LavaGirl (Taylor Dooley) crash into Max's classroom and take him off to rescue the fantastic planet he dreamed up. Towards the end, SharkBoy and LavaGirl crumbles with clumsy story gaps and bland moral advice, but most of the movie explodes with visual invention. A clockwork villain with electrical limbs commands an army of extension-cord snakes; ! SharkBoy uses his claws to engrave a diagram of the solar syst! em into a chalkboard; LavaGirl's burning feet melt an ice bridge as she runs across it. It's disappointing that Rodriguez's storytelling flounders, but sections of deliciously fluid movie-making make The Adventures of SharkBoy and LavaGirl in 3-D worth seeing nonetheless. Also featuring David Arquette (Eight Legged Freaks), Kristin Davis (Sex in the City), and George Lopez (Real Women Have Curves). --Bret FetzerThe Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D reproduction Approx. Size: 11 x 17 Inches - 28cm x 44cm 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

Dischord

• At the height of her success, alternative rock star Gypsy puts sown her violin and walks away from her career, she retreats with Lucian, her musician husband, to the desolation of Cape Cod in winter. There in Lucian s family cottage, isolated from all they worked to achieve, Lucian tries to support Gypsy in her quest from renewal and peace. Their solitude is cut short, however, when Lucian s long

A Dischord box set? It may seem like an oddity to many who know little about the label, but when you think about it, it makes absolutely perfect sense. Many of the D.C. bands were and are known for amazing live shows, blowing most "punk" bands out of the water. Unfortunately, given these bands' tendency to break up after a year or so, those in the other parts of the country and the world couldn't necessarily make it down to the 9:30 club to check out Severin or Soul Side -- hence, the existence of Di! schord as a label. Initially started just to document one band (the Teen Idles), it has served to document the ever-growing musical family that has come to represent some of the best music Washington D.C. has to offer. And now, after 20 years, a compilation comes along (each band is represented with one song on the first two discs) that is not only beautifully laid out, but an absolute necessity for fans of either the label as a whole or just one or two bands. On the first two discs, the progression of the label is spelled out chronologically, beginning with the rapid-fire hardcore that D.C. bands like Minor Threat, Government Issue, and Faith used to establish the scene in the early '80s. Around track 16 or so, the whole thing explodes. Bands no longer take the faster-then-hell approach, and more melodies and complexities take over. While many of the people here appear in many different bands, there was an obvious concerted effort to keep pushing things past the confines o! f what constituted "punk," including the supposed birth of emo! core (Em brace, Rites of Spring), the blend of personal issues with politics of the Nation of Ulysses and Fugazi, the power pop of High-Back Chairs, or the monster surf punk of Slant 6. The third disc, made up entirely of rare and unreleased tracks moves in much the same order but tends to be a bit heavier on the "hardcore" side. If this isn't your cup of tea, it is more than made up for by rare tracks by Shudder to Think and the brilliant "Word" by Fugazi. (Not to mention an extremely old interview with Ian and co. from way back when and vintage live footage of some of the original hardcore bands on the scene.) There are moments on the box that may throw people for a loop, musically. But the fascinating part is hearing the progression of the scene from a high-octane hardcore hotbed to a more arty, experimental, and wide-ranging purely musical scene. Listeners will have an interesting time trying to peg down just when that shift occurred. Was it Rites of Spring? Beefeater? Shudder to! Think? It's important to note too that not every moment/song/band is going to touch people. Fans of the early work the label released will probably not go crazy for High-Back Chairs, and Autoclave fans may not dig S.O.A., but that's missing the point. And the point is? The point is that Dischord is a label devoted to documenting music, not supplying it with an image or a marketing strategy. And this collection is the ultimate proof. [The set also contains an amazing book that contains photos, essays, descriptions of the whens, whys, and hows of each band and song as well as a pictorial discography.] ~ Chris True, RoviSelf-absorbed New Age composer Lucien (Andrew Borba) feels overshadowed by the talent and fame of his "improv" violinist wife Gypsy (Annunziata Gianzero), so she abandons her music to placate him, and together they retreat to their beach front home. Gypsy just "needs to fly again, needs to dream," like she did when her grandfather played for her as a little gi! rl. Meanwhile Lucien's serial killer brother Jimmy (Thomas Jay! Ryan) c omes to visit after a long absence. The three walk on the beach, drink, and talk about their pasts. Gypsy listens to wind chimes and confides in a mysterious beachcomber; Lucien grows frustrated composing his next album, and Jimmy drowns the local women. Meanwhile a retired Boston detective is on Jimmy's trail, and eventually explosive confrontations erupt on both artistic and psychological levels. DISCHORD is a unique, low-budget indie from writer-producer-director-editor Mark Wilkinson. It seems to take place in an alternative New Age universe where even cops and Cape Cod fisherman talk about appeasing the spirits and New Age music is more popular than rock and rap combined. Naturally there's an intriguing score, and Hal Hartley fans will relish seeing HENRY FOOL star Ryan in another meaty role.

Griffin Technology Stylus for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone and other touchscreens

• High-sensitivity, omni-directional point won't scratch or smudge your touchscreen
• Great for right- and left-handed writers
• Use with any app for greater comfort and control

Nicole Beharie (The Express), Will Patton (Entrapment, The Postman), Charles Dutton (TV's Roc, Mimic) and Alfre Woodard (TV's Desperate Housewives, Primal Fear) star in this gripping true-life story. Falsely accused of distributing narcotics in a school zone, Dee Roberts (Beharie) is offered a deal she can't refuse: plead guilty and accept a 10-year suspended sentence. The alternative: risk serving 16-to-25 in jail. Realizing a conviction would ruin her life, Dee decides to fight back. Suing the DA for racial discrimination, Dee battles impossible odds in a case that will not only change her life but the laws of Texas as well.American! Violet may be based on the story of outrageous injustices committed against Regina Kelly of Hearne, Texas, but that does not make it a good film. It is, at best, a bad film with an important message. American Violet is about a single mother of four, Dee Roberts (Nicole Beharie), who is wrongly convicted of drug charges due to police racism and corruption. As she struggles to stay out of prison with the help of her mother, Alma (Alfre Woodard), Dee exemplifies a stalwart woman who refuses to plead guilty when offered a plea bargain. While names of characters and the town itself are changed, the story in American Violet is allegedly altered only slightly in hopes of maintaining its tragic truth, that a plea-bargain system in Texas forced, in this case, impoverished and sometimes innocent African Americans to accept guilty charges and their negative aftereffects. American Violet's melodramatic sensibility attempts to spark the same indignation that fu! els ACLU lawyer David Cohen (Tim Blake Nelson) to embark on a ! lawsuit against the head racist, district attorney Calvin Beckett (Michael O'Keefe). Cohen, with the help of a former narcotics officer, Sam Conroy (Will Patton), discovers enough evidence to disturb any viewer. While it is crucial to have artful dialogue about this politically offensive topic, American Violet is not finely scripted or cinematically engaging enough to elevate it above second-hand documentary. Still, since the film does cover meaningful territory, there may be a place for it in classrooms, or it may inspire others to work on further exposing gross injustice for the benefit of our society. --Trinie DaltonNicole Beharie (The Express), Will Patton (Entrapment, The Postman), Charles Dutton (TV's Roc, Mimic) and Alfre Woodard (TV's Desperate Housewives, Primal Fear) star in this gripping true-life story. Falsely accused of distributing narcotics in a school zone, Dee Roberts (Beharie) is! offered a deal she can't refuse: plead guilty and accept a 10-year suspended sentence. The alternative: risk serving 16-to-25 in jail. Realizing a conviction would ruin her life, Dee decides to fight back. Suing the DA for racial discrimination, Dee battles impossible odds in a case that will not only change her life but the laws of Texas as well.American Violet may be based on the story of outrageous injustices committed against Regina Kelly of Hearne, Texas, but that does not make it a good film. It is, at best, a bad film with an important message. American Violet is about a single mother of four, Dee Roberts (Nicole Beharie), who is wrongly convicted of drug charges due to police racism and corruption. As she struggles to stay out of prison with the help of her mother, Alma (Alfre Woodard), Dee exemplifies a stalwart woman who refuses to plead guilty when offered a plea bargain. While names of characters and the town itself are changed, the story in Am! erican Violet is allegedly altered only slightly in hopes ! of maint aining its tragic truth, that a plea-bargain system in Texas forced, in this case, impoverished and sometimes innocent African Americans to accept guilty charges and their negative aftereffects. American Violet's melodramatic sensibility attempts to spark the same indignation that fuels ACLU lawyer David Cohen (Tim Blake Nelson) to embark on a lawsuit against the head racist, district attorney Calvin Beckett (Michael O'Keefe). Cohen, with the help of a former narcotics officer, Sam Conroy (Will Patton), discovers enough evidence to disturb any viewer. While it is crucial to have artful dialogue about this politically offensive topic, American Violet is not finely scripted or cinematically engaging enough to elevate it above second-hand documentary. Still, since the film does cover meaningful territory, there may be a place for it in classrooms, or it may inspire others to work on further exposing gross injustice for the benefit of our society. --Trinie Dalto! nViolet Brown is about to get a crash course in the penalties of the drug trade. Busted attempting to cross state lines with five kilos of Columbia’s finest, she finds herself facing a twenty-four year prison sentence, pregnant and alone. Find out what happens to Violet when the bars close on one of the most vicious correctional facilities in the state, and Begonia and her girls rip the city up to set things right.



Julia Press Simmons is a talented writer who captures the heart and soul of her character's emotions, making readers become attached to the characters within her novels. Each novel in the Strawberry Mansion series just gets better and better.
~Leona Romich~
Violet Brown is about to get a crash course in the penalties of the drug trade. Busted attempting to cross state lines with five kilos of Columbia’s finest, she finds herself facing a twenty-four year prison sentence, pregnant and alone. Find out what happens to Violet ! when the bars close on one of the most vicious correctional fa! cilities in the state, and Begonia and her girls rip the city up to set things right.



Julia Press Simmons is a talented writer who captures the heart and soul of her character's emotions, making readers become attached to the characters within her novels. Each novel in the Strawberry Mansion series just gets better and better.
~Leona Romich~
More control as you write, sketch, tap and drag on your iPad, iPhone or any touch screen. Griffin's Stylus is a balanced pointer with a soft rubber tip custom designed to mimic your finger. The omni-directional tip adapts to any writing style and doesn't care whether you're left-handed or right-handed. Keeps your touch screen free of fingerprints and smudges as it gives increases control over any touch screen operation. Perfect for flight simulator apps, sketching, drawing and photography apps and any use where you need a finer degree of control than your finger can offer. Stylus includes an integrated clip that attaches to ! a pocket in your bag or a pencil loop in your iPad case.

Get Him to the Greek (Single-Disc Edition)

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC

A RECORD COMPANY INTERN IS HIRED TO ACCOMPANY OUT-OF-CONTROL BRITISH ROCK STAR ALDOUS SNOW TO A CONCERT AT L.A.'S GREEK THEATER.

Thrilla in Manila

• Officially Licensed
• Highest Quality Recording

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 12/29/2009 Run time: 100 minutes Rating: RHe rocked the sport, shook the world, and changed their lives. Now, several decades after they met in the ring, ten of the sport's finest fighters tell what it was like to battle Muhammad Ali, the man many consider the best boxer ever. This brutally honest documentary recounts Ali's incomparable journey as seen through the eyes of those who stepped through the ropes and into history. Join these respected fighters as they weigh in on "The Greatest" and pay tribute to a living legend in this powerful and unforgettable film.

WHEN WE WERE KINGS - DVD MovieDecades ago, documentary filmmaker Leon Gast attempted to complete a feature about the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" championship bout between boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. Sundry complications, though, held up the project until its release in 1996. It was well worth the delay. From Gast's per! spective of modern history, the six weeks Ali and Foreman were! forced to spend waiting in Africa for their fight to take place now looks like an important moment in America's cultural understanding of African American roots. In a nutshell, Ali had been stripped of his heavyweight champion title because his opposition to the Vietnam War-era draft had landed him in prison. Reigning champ Foreman agreed to a Don King-promoted match in Kinshasa, but after all parties got there the fight was put off. Gast captures the charismatic Ali, in the ensuing days and weeks, going out among the people and getting to know them while the more reclusive Foreman keeps to his own company. Meanwhile, King brings over black American artists such as James Brown and the Spinners to mix it up with African musicians. The sense of excitement and connection is thrilling, as is the boxing footage of Foreman and Ali finally taking swings at one another in a titanic duel. Writers George Plimpton and Norman Mailer, each of whom was covering the fight as journalists, are on h! and to recollect the details. Whether you're a fight fan or not, this is a unique experience and a fascinating insight into America's sense of identity. --Tom Keogh 'Smokin' Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali fought three times, but it was their third and final epic encounter in the searing heat of the Philippines on October 1, 1975, that cemented
their rivalry and ended so dramatically that it continues to
provoke controversy. Combined with electrifying archival footage and exclusive interviews, Thrilla in Manila is Joe Frazier's story an absorbing, sad account of bitterness, religion, politics and racism, conveying both the depths of their rivalry as well as the explosive racial politics in America at the time. The pair had once been friends, with Frazier supporting Ali
when he was stripped of his boxing license for refusing to fight in Vietnam. But once Ali was back in the ring, their friendship soon turned into a vicious feud: Ali accused Frazier
of being a! traitor to his people and went from an anti-war and civil rig! hts lead er to an opportunist and narcissist willing to do anything to promote himself in the spotlight.

Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation

• ISBN13: 9780060976972
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

From the makers of Ray, AMAZING GRACE tells the inspiring story of William Wilberforce and his passion and perseverance to pass a law ending the slave trade in the late 18th century. Several friends, including Wilberforce's minister, a reformed slave ship captain who penned the beloved hymn Amazing Grace, urge him to see the cause through.In this inspirational costume drama, Michael Apted (49 Up) recounts a period in British history sure to be unfamiliar to most Americans. In fact, his eye-opening biography of 18th century abolitionist William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) is likely to come as a revelation to many Britons, as well. After all, despite the presence of his wife, Barbara (Romola Garai! ), this isn't a particularly "sexy" story, but it is a powerful one. The title comes from John Newton's hymn "Amazing Grace" ("I once was lost but now am found"). Newton (Albert Finney) was a former slaveholder, who became a clergyman and spent his days repenting. While America had John Brown, England had Wilberforce, and Newton is one of many who helped the MP to abolish slavery in the UK. The story begins towards the end of Wilberforce's mission when he's sick with colitis and addicted to laudanum. Apted continues to alternate between 1797 and 1789, when Wilberforce was fitter and more idealistic, and ends in 1807 as his efforts come to fruition. Apted and writer Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things) do right by their hero. Unlike Amistad, however, slaves are largely off-screen, with the exception of author Equiano (Senegalese vocalist Youssou N'Dour). Amazing Grace reserves its focus for the politicians who risked their reps for the greater good! , like Wilberforce and Prime Minister Pitt (an excellent Bened! ict Cumb erbatch), and those more concerned with the income slavery provided their constituents, like Lord Tarleton (Ciarán Hinds) and the Duke of Clarence (Toby Jones). --Kathleen C. FennessyGrace loves to act out stories. Sometimes she plays the leading part, sometimes she is 'a cast of thousands.' When her school decides to perform Peter Pan , Grace is longing to play Peter, but her classmates say that Peter was a boy, and besides, he wasn't black...But Grace's Ma and Nana tell her she can be anything she wants if she puts her mind to it...What every good would-be mayor needs is a granny from the hood! In this "sharp and humorous look" (The Hollywood Reporter) at American politics, comedienne Jackie "Moms" Mabley makes her film debut as "a lovable but cantankerous" (Variety) grandma, hell-bent on puttin' her local boy in office! With performances from Slappy White, Stepin Fetchit and Butterfly McQueen, Amazing Grace is a "warm, affectionate, positive" and good "old-fashion! ed comedy" (Los Angeles Times)you'll revisit time and again! A pious, church-goin' widow and grandma, Grace (Mabley) hasa mouth that could take on the devil himself, and the resolve to smack down an even bigger evil: politics! When she learns that her neighbor, mayoral candidate Welton (Moses Gunn), is nothin' more than a white man's pawn, she takes him under her wing and hits the street as his campaign manager! Nowthe blue-blood establishment has a no-nonsense, go-get-'em granny to deal with in a battle for the Baltimore vote!The children in this book defy the stereotypes of urban youth too frequently presented by the media. Tender, generous and often religiously devout, they speak with eloquence and honesty about the poverty and racial isolation that have wounded but not hardened them.

The book does not romanticize or soften the effects of violence and sickness. One fourth of the child-bearing women in the neighborhoods where these children live test positive for HIV! . Pediatric AIDs, life-consuming fires and gang rivalries take! a high toll. Several children die during the year in which this narrative takes place.

A gently written work, Amazing Grace asks questions that are at once political and theological. What is the value of a child's life? What exactly do we plan to do with those whom we appear to have defined as economically and humanly superfluous? How cold -- how cruel, how tough -- do we dare be?