Character Novelty Products

  • The motorcycle diaries [import]

    - 15.99

    Composer: Gustavo Santaolalla.This acclaimed soundtrack, mostly consisting of composer Gustavo Santaolalla's haunting score, features an eclectic mix of Latin styles. The music here is a hybrid of South American folk music, mostly from Santaolalla's native Argentina, also the homeland of the film's main character, the young medical student and future revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara.Most of Santaolalla's compositions are quite reflective. "Leyendo en el Hospital," "Chichina," and "Partida del Leprosario" showcase his sensitive acoustic guitar playing, while other tracks, such as the moving "De Usuahia a la Quiaca," feature the ronroco, a mandolin-like Argentinean instrument (and one of Santaolalla's specialties). The brief interludes "Montana" and "Circulo en el Rio" are moody atmospheric pieces that contrast effectively with Santaolalla's distorted rock-like guitar riffs on "Apertura" and "Cabalgando." Rounding out the album are tracks by other artists. "Chipi Chipi," which features the vocals of Maria Esther Zamora, is a lighthearted novelty tune, while Jorge Drexler's "Al Otro Lado del Rio" is a gentle, acoustic number that won the Best Song award at the 2005 Oscars.

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    The motorcycle diaries [import]

    The motorcycle diaries [import]

    15.99

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  • A face in the crowd - widescreen subtitle

    - 14.99

    The meteoric popularity of Arthur Godfrey was allegedly the basis of the 1957 drama Face in the Crowd. Andy Griffith makes a spectacular film debut as Lonesome Rhodes, a philosophical country-western singer discovered in a tanktown jail by television talent coordinator Patricia Neal and her assistant Walter Matthau. They decide that Rhodes is worthy of a TV guest spot, the result being that the gangly, aw-shucks entertainer becomes an overnight sensation. As he ascends to stardom, Rhodes attracts fans, sponsors and endorsements by the carload, and soon he is the most powerful and influential entertainer on the airwaves. Beloved by his audience, Rhodes reveals himself to his intimates as a scheming, power-hungry manipulator, with Machiavellian political aspirations. He uses everyone around him, coldly discarding anyone who might impede his climb to the top (one such victim is sexy baton-twirler Lee Remick, likewise making her film debut). Just when it seems that there's no stopping Rhodes' megalomania, his mentor and ex-lover Neal exposes this Idol of Millions as the rat that he is. She arranges to switch on the audio during the closing credits of Rhodes' TV program, allowing the whole nation to hear the grinning, waving Rhodes characterize them as "suckers" and "stupid idiots." Instantly, Rhodes' popularity rating plummets to zero. As he drunkenly wanders around his penthouse apartment, still not fully comprehending what has happened to him, Rhodes is deserted by the very associates who, hours earlier, were willing to ask "how high?" when he yelled "jump". Written by Budd Schulberg, Face in the Crowd was not a success, possibly because it hit so close to home with idol-worshipping TV fans. Its reputation has grown in the intervening years, not only because of its value as a film but because of the novelty of seeing the traditionally easygoing Andy Griffith as so vicious and manipulative a character as Lonesome Rhodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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    A face in the crowd - widescreen subtitle

    A face in the crowd - widescreen subtitle

    14.99

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  • Three stooges: meet the baron/the gold raiders -

    - 12.99

    Includes:Meet the Baron (1933) The Gold Raiders (1951) Meet the Baron In this comedy, a man masquerading as the notorious Baron Munchausen and his partner arrive from the African jungles and create quite a stir in New York. Eventually he ends up a women's college involved in a number of interesting musical production numbers. Look for an early appearance by the "The Three Stooges." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide The Gold Raiders Filmed in a record five days, Gold Raiders was an attempt by producer Jack Schwartz to inaugurate a new western series starring old favorite George O'Brien. Adding novelty value to the proceedings are the Three Stooges: Shemp Howard, Larry Howard and Moe Howard. The action is fairly divided between O'Brien, who plays a frontier insurance investigator, and the Stooges, cast as itinerant snake-oil peddlers. The star and his comedian cohorts team up to squash a gang of thieves who've been hijacking gold-mine shipments. It is no surprise to anyone that the villain is local bigwig Sawyer (Lyle Talbot), but the plot does manage to sneak in quite a few interesting twists, including a red-herring character who turns out to be a spy for the baddies, and then turns out to be working for the good guys! For all their buffoonery, the Stooges perform heroically during the climactic shootout (even Larry)! Sheila Ryan co-stars as the granddaughter of bibulous doctor Clem Bevans, while Monte Blue enjoys a larger part than usual as the local mine owner. Gold Raiders was reissued in a shortened version (shorter even than its original 56-minute running time!) as The Three Stooges Go West. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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    Three stooges: meet the baron/the gold raiders -

    Three stooges: meet the baron/the gold raiders -

    12.99

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