the Rules Were Handed Down
the Rules Were Handed Down Atists: Gentleman Auction House
Audio CD:
Company: Self-Released (2006-10-06)
List Price: $7.00
Amazon Price: $4.50
Used Price: $2.45



Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney) One of the brightest nuggets from Disney's golden age, this 1937 film is almost dizzying in its meticulous construction of an enchanted world, with scores of major and minor characters (including fauna and fowl), each with a distinct identity. When you watch Snow White's intricate, graceful movements of fingers, arms, and head all in one shot, it is not the technical brilliance of Disney's artists that leaps out at you, but the very spirit of her engaging, girl-woman character. When the wicked queen's poisoned apple turns from killer green to rose red, the effect of knowing something so beautiful can be so terrible is absolutely elemental, so pure it forces one to surrender to the horror of it. Based on the Grimm fairy tale, Snow White is probably the best family film ever to deal, in mythic terms, with the psychological foundation for growing up. It's a crowning achievement and should not be missed. --Tom Keogh

Director: David Hand
VHS Tape: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Company: Walt Disney Video (1994-10-25)
ISBN: 155890641X
List Price: $26.99
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Mickey Blue Eyes
Mickey Blue Eyes Mickey Blue Eyes was crafted as a vehicle for the stammering British charm of Hugh Grant (star of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Nine Months), so whether or not you like the movie will depend heavily on your affection for Grant. He plays an art auctioneer who falls in love with schoolteacher Jeanne Tripplehorn (Basic Instinct, Very Bad Things), who just happens to be the daughter of mobster James Caan (The Godfather, Misery). To protect Grant, Tripplehorn tries to fend off his proposal of marriage, but some miscommunications lead to Grant being embraced by the "family." After the mob decides to launder money through Grant's auction house, an accidental killing results in Grant pretending to be Mickey Blue Eyes out of Kansas City (the sight and sound of Grant trying to say "fuggedaboudit" was undoubtedly what sold the movie in the first place). The plot isn't as well executed as it could be, but the leads are all well cast and there are some excellent supporting performances, particularly Burt Young (Rocky) as a myopic mob boss and Scott Thompson (from the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall) as a sprightly FBI agent. --Bret Fetzer

Director: Kelly Makin
DVD: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
Company: Turner Home Ent (1999-12-28)
ISBN: 0780625277
List Price: $9.98
Amazon Price: $2.99
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