Friday, December 2, 2011

Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh

  • BLESSED IS THE MATCH (DVD MOVIE)
In 1944, 22-year-old Hannah Senesh parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe with a small group of Jewish volunteers from Palestine. Theirs was the only military rescue mission for Jews that occurred in World War II.

Narrated by Academy Award® winner Joan Allen, the multi-award-winning BLESSED IS THE MATCH follows the remarkable journey of this young Hungarian poet and diarist, paratrooper and resistance fighter. Told through Hannah s letters, diaries, and poems, her mother s memoirs, and the recollections of those who knew and loved her (including two of her fellow parachutists), the film traces her life from her childhood in Budapest to her time in British-controlled Palestine where she was drawn by the Kibbutz Movement that sought to build an independent Jewish state to her daring mission to rescue Jews in her native Hungary.

Both devastating an! d inspiring, BLESSED IS THE MATCH offers an intimate portrait of a singularly talented, courageous and complex girl who believed that one person could be a flame that burns brightly in even the darkest hours.This harrowing documentary by director Roberta Grossman is like any meaningful history lesson about the Holocaust: extremely sad to watch but absolutely necessary. Pieced together from Hannah Senesh's letters and poems, and her mother's memoir, this very tragic story is narrated by Joan Allen, which is only the first great thing about this film. Blessed Is the Match tells the tale of national heroine and martyr Hannah Senesh, who embarked on a deadly mission from her kibbutz in Palestine to save Hungarian Jews from extermination. Still photos of Senesh's family are interwoven with interviews with everyone from her nephews to her prison cellmate, Vera Latjai, to her fellow parachutist, Surika Braverman, to Shimon Peres, the president of Israel. A painfully clear! picture is painted of how brave and generous this young girl ! of 22 mu st have been to have enrolled in the British Army as one of three women who parachuted into Yugoslavia to infiltrate German-occupied Hungary. The film traces her childhood in Budapest, marking important turning points in which Senesh dedicated her life to writing poetry. Even in the first grade, upon the death of her father, this precocious girl dictated elegiac poetry to her grandmother. While many documentaries drag on in childhood sections that feel irrelevant to the larger story, Blessed Is the Match uses this time wisely. Leading up to 1938, when Senesh decides to leave her mother behind for Palestine, one learns how anti-Semitism informed her morality and fortified her dedication to the Jewish people. With more frequency, the voices of Hannah (Meri Roth), mother Catherine (Marcela Nohynkova), and brother Giora (Zdenek Kozakovic) replace the narrator's as the story of Hannah's short time in Europe grows increasingly dire. Moving and still images of the Polish a! nd Hungarian ghettos spliced in here make one feel the urgency of Senesh's mission to save her mother. As letters are read back and forth between them, and the film spends its latter third focusing on their prison time together, there are moments that seem nearly unbearable. However, Hannah Senesh is called Israel's Joan of Arc for a reason. This film honors her having become a symbol of persistence and hope, and in this, many of her simple, yet beautiful patriotic poems are read throughout to strong effect. Blessed Is the Match is a challenging, comprehensive look at the power of the individual and transcends war story to remind one of how caring humans do much to counteract atrocity. --Trinie Dalton

Fallout Trilogy - 3 Pack Compilation

  • Fallout - It's the year 2161, 84 years after a two-hour-long war that destroyed most of civilization. Mankind soldiers on, living out a hardscrabble life on the surface or holing up in great Vaults built inside caves. You're a member of Vault 13 somewhere in Southern California, and the Vault Overseer's got a job for you - find a replacement water purification chip within 150 days, or your home is doomed.
  • Fallout 2 - It's been 80 long years since your ancestor, the Vault Dweller trod across the wastelands. As you now search for the Garden of Eden Creation Kit to save your primitive village, touch choices and even tougher consequences await you.
  • Fallout Tactics Brotherhood of Steel - A departure from the character-heavy RPG style of traditional Fallout games, Interplay's Fallout Tactics - Brotherhood of Steel is instead a squad-based tactical RPG, utilizing both turn-based and real-time! mechanics. As part of a split faction of the Brotherhood of Steel, the player controls a team that attempts to grow and expand across Fallout's barren wastelands by recruiting outsiders to embark on combat-heavy missions. Though vastly different from
Three Smash Hits in One Radioactive Pack! 3 Action Packed Fallout Games in 1! FALLOUT: It's the year 2161, 84 years after a two-hour-long war that destroyed most of civilization. Mankind soldiers on, living out a hardscrabble life on the surface or holing up in great Vaults built inside caves. You're a member of Vault 13 somewhere in Southern California, and the Vault Overseer's got a job for you: find a replacement water purification chip within 150 days, or your home is doomed. FALLOUT 2: It's been 80 long years since your ancestor the "Vault Dweller" trol across the wastelands. As you now search for the Garden of Eden Creation Kit to save your primititve village, touch choices and even tougher consequences ! await you. FALLOUT TACTICS: A departure from the character -! heavy RP G of traditional Fallout games, Interplay's Fallout Tactics is instead a squad-based tactical RPG, utilizing both turn-bases and real-time mechanics. As part of a split faction of the Brotherhood of Steal, the player controls a team that attempts to grow and expand across Fallout's barren wastelands by recruiting outsiders to embark on combat-heavy missions. Though vastly different from other Fallout titles, Fallout Tactics is a solid and enjoyable title that fans of the series would do well to explore.

How to Deal: Someone Like You/That Summer (Movie tie-in)

  • ISBN13: 9780142501030
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Mandy Moore stars as Halley, a young hip high school student who believes that love will never happen to her and that her life is a mess. Her father is marrying a woman she can't stand, her mother is alone, her sister's wedding plans are taking over her life and her friends at school only care about cheerleading and football. All seems lost until she meets a boy who shows her what love is all about.Teen idol Mandy Moore (A Walk to Remember) learns how to deal with an awful lot--How to Deal crams divorce, teen pregnancy, a wedding, a car accident, and a pot-smoking grandmother into a single year in the life of Halley Martin (Moore). Halley's so resentful of her parents' divorce (and her fa! ther's impending remarriage) that she resolves not to fall in love--so of course a hunky guy named Macon (Trent Ford) decides that she's the girl for him and woos her with gentle persistence. Two things save all of this from being a teenage soap opera: First, a refreshingly realistic (though not explicit) and unjudgmental look at teenage sex; second, a sterling supporting cast, including Allison Janney (The West Wing), Peter Gallagher (sex, lies, and videotape), and Dylan Baker (Happiness), alongside pleasant young actors like Alexandra Holden (Sugar and Spice). --Bret FetzerStudio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 09/18/2007How To Train Your Dragon
A winner with audiences and critics alike, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon rolls fire-breathing action, epic adventure and laughs into a captivating and original story. Hiccup is a young Viking who defies tradition when he befriends one of his deadlies! t foes â€" a ferocious dragon he calls Toothless. Together, th! e unlike ly heroes must fight against all odds to save both their worlds in this “wonderful good-time hit!” (Gene Shalit, Today).

Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon
Hiccup and the Viking gang are back to battle Gobber’s archenemy â€" the legendary BoneKnapper dragon â€" in this full-“scale” action-adventure. Shipwrecked on a mysterious island, the courageous kids devise a plan to capture the cagey creatures…if he even exists!A winning mixture of adventure, slapstick comedy, and friendship, How to Train Your Dragon rivals Kung Fu Panda as the most engaging and satisfying film DreamWorks Animation has produced. Hiccup (voice by Jay Baruchel) is a failure as a Viking: skinny, inquisitive, and inventive, he asks questions and tries out unsuccessful contraptions when he's supposed to be fighting the dragons that attack his village. His father, chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), has pretty much given up on his teenage son and apprenti! ced him to blacksmith Gobber (Craig Ferguson). Worse, Hiccup knows the village loser hasn't a chance of impressing Astrid (America Ferrera), the girl of his dreams and a formidable dragon fighter in her own right. When one of Hiccup's inventions actually works, he hasn't the heart to kill the young dragon he's brought down. He names it Toothless and befriends it, although he's been taught to fear and loathe dragons. Codirectors and cowriters Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who made Disney's delightful Lilo and Stitch, provide plenty of action, including vertiginous flying sequences, but they balance the pyrotechnics with moments of genuine warmth that make the viewer root for Hiccup's success. Many DreamWorks films get laughs from sitcom one-liners and topical pop culture references; as the humor in Dragon comes from the characters' personalities, it feels less timely and more timeless. Toothless chases the spot of sunlight reflected off Hiccup's hammer like a giant cat wit! h a laser pointer; Hiccup uses his newly found knowledge (and ! an icky smoked eel) to defeat two small dragons--and impress the other kids. How to Train Your Dragon will be just as enjoyable 10 or 20 years from now as it is today. (Rated PG: suitable for ages 8 and older, violence, some intense action and scary dragons) --Charles SolomonRule #1: There are no rules

Just when you think you've got everything figured out for yourself, things get turned upside down. Families change. Lives end. New lives begin. And love sneaks up on you when you least expect it. The trick is finding that one person you can always count on, that one person who will throw out the rules and help you figure out how to deal with it all.

Here, from acclaimed author Sarah Dessen, are two books about girls who stick together and manage to get it right -- the two books that served as inspiration for the film How to Deal, starring Mandy Moore. Read them, and you'll see where Halley and Scarlett's story began.

Office for Mac Home & Student 2011 - 1 Pack

  • Office for Mac 2011 offers top-of-the-line software with the most complete feature set.
  • So you can deliver impressive, professional-looking documents and presentations.
  • PCs running Office worldwide ensures you have the right tools to create, share, and collaborate with virtually anyone, anywhere, with no worries.
  • Office Web App support: New Office Web Apps let you post, access, edit.
  • Share Office documents from where you want with nearly any computer with a browser;
  • Also includes Messenger for Mac 8 enabling you to communicate in real time with audio and video support.
  • And Remote Desktop for Mac 2 so you can drive your Windows-based PC from your Mac.
  • And coauthor a document with multiple people in multiple locations.
  • The most familiar and trusted productivity applications used around the world at home, school, and business.
For a! ll life’s opportunities. With over 1 billion PCs and Macs running Office, Microsoft Office is the most-trusted and most-used productivity suite ever. And Office for Mac 2011 is here to help you do more with your Mac your way. Use familiar applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to help you take your ideas further. And since Office for Mac is compatible with Office for Windows, you can work on documents with virtually anyone on a Mac or PC. Store your files in a password protected online SkyDrive folder to access, edit, or share your work from virtually anywhere with the free Office Web Apps. Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 includes Word for Mac 2011, Excel for Mac 2011, and PowerPoint for Mac 2011.

With over 1 billion PCs and Macs running Office, Microsoft Office is the most-trusted and most-used productivity suite ever. And Office for Mac 2011 is here to help you do more with your Mac your way. Use familiar applications like Word, Ex! cel, and PowerPoint to help you take your ideas further. And s! ince Off ice for Mac is compatible with Office for Windows, you can work on documents with virtually anyone on a Mac or PC. Store your files in a password protected online SkyDrive folder to access, edit, or share your work from virtually anywhere with the free Office Web Apps.

1-Pack Version

Licensed for home and student use on 1 (one) Mac; not for use in any commercial, non-profit, or revenue generating business activities, or by any government organization.

What's New and Improved

Word for Mac 2011
Powerful writing tools help you create outstanding documents, then store, edit, and share your work easily on the web.
Excel for Mac 2011
Clarify your financial picture with easy-to-analyze spreadsheets you can post online to view, edit, share, or coauthor with your team from virtually anywhere.
PowerPoint for Mac 2011
Create powerful, professional presentations that engage and inspire your audience, and present online as effectively as in person.
  • Ribbon
    Access favorite commands quickly, and personalize your workspace.

  • Office Web Apps*
    Post, edit, and share files from virtually anywhere.

  • Coauthoring
    Simultaneously edit a file with authors in multiple locations.

  • Template Gallery
    Visually select the p! erfect t emplate for your next project.
  • Photo Editing
    Remove backgrounds or add color filters right within PowerPoint.

  • Full Screen View
    Use full screen to maximize space for reading and writing.

  • Presentation Broadcast
    Broadcast a presentation instantly online, even to people without PowerPoint.

  • Improved Publishing Layout View
    Create visually rich newsletters, brochures, and documents easily.

  • Sparklines
    Create small charts in a single cell to discover patterns in your data.

  • Visual Basic Support
    Automate repetitive tasks by programming your favorite commands.

  • Dynamic Reordering
    Rearrange layers of text, photos, and graphics quickly.

* Requires a Windows Live ID, internet connection and sup! ported browser.

Work the way you want, where you want.

Microsoft Office for Mac adds rich new features to the familiar Office applications you already know, helping you to manage your home and schoolwork the way you want. Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 is licensed for home and student use on 1 (one) Mac and is not intended for commercial use. It includes:

Word for Mac 2011

Powerful writing tools help you create outstanding documents, then store, edit, and share your work easily on the web.

  • Create visually rich newsletters, brochures, and documents in Publishing Layout view.
  • Instantly see styles applied in your document with Visual Styles.
  • Work in Full Screen view to maximize space for reading and writing documents.
  • Rearrange layers of text, photos, and graphics quickly with Dynamic Reordering.
  • View, edit, store, and share documents online with the Word Web App ! on Windows Live SkyDrive.*
  • Share and coauthor Word ! document s with virtually anyone, whether they're using Office on a Mac or PC.
Excel for Mac 2011

Clarify your financial picture with easy-to-analyze spreadsheets you can post online to view, edit, share, or coauthor with your team from virtually anywhere.

  • Clarify your data using Conditional Formatting with icons, data bars, and color scales.
  • Spot trends with new Sparklines, small charts that fit in a single cell.
  • Spend more time analyzing data and less time sifting through it with PivotTables.
  • Organize, filter, and format related data with Excel tables.
  • Increase efficiency and save time by automating repetitive tasks using Visual Basic.
  • View, edit, store, and share spreadsheets online with the Excel Web App on Windows Live SkyDrive.*
  • Share and coauthor Excel spreadsheets with virtually anyone, whether they're using Office on a Mac or PC.
PowerPoint for Mac 2! 011

Create powerful, professional presentations that engage and inspire your audience, and present online as effectively as in person.

  • Remove backgrounds or add color filters to your photos right within PowerPoint.
  • Move beyond the conference room and broadcast your presentations online.
  • Rearrange layers of text, photos, and graphics quickly with Dynamic Reordering.
  • Rehearse, check your timing, and take notes in Presenter View.
  • View, edit, store, and share Office documents online with the PowerPoint Web App on Windows Live SkyDrive.*
  • Share and coauthor PowerPoint presentations with virtually anyone, whether they're using Office on a Mac or PC.

* Requires a Windows Live ID, internet connection and supported browser.


Swamp Thing Evil Un-Men Weed Killer with Bogsucker BioMask

Inner Sanctum Mysteries Complete Movie Collection (Calling Dr. Death / Weird Woman / The Frozen Ghost / Pillow of Death / Dead Man's Eyes / Strange Confession)

  • Condition: New
  • Format: DVD
  • Color; Dolby; DVD; Full Screen; Subtitled; NTSC
Dr. Sullivan Travis, a successful Dallas gynecologist, finds his life disrupted by the women in his life; his wife suffers a nervous breakdown, his eldest daughter plans to marry despite being a lesbian, his youngest daughter is a conspiracy freak, his se
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: R
Release Date: 21-OCT-2003
Media Type: DVDLoose-limbed and casual even for a Robert Altman movie, Dr. T & the Women has a sly, offhanded wit that makes up for its ramshackle structure. Richard Gere's eponymous gynecologist seems the model of success: his office is packed daily with the cream of Dallas's society matrons clamoring for an appointment, his home life is blessed with loving wife Farrah Fawcett and daughters Tara Reid and Kate Hudson, and when he needs a break! from the estrogen congestion there are always weekends to be spent with his trio of hunting buddies. But on a trip to the mall to shop for Hudson's upcoming nuptials, Fawcett strips naked and leaps about in a waterfall. Her subsequent incarceration in a mental hospital (she's diagnosed with the fictional "Hestia complex," suffering from receiving too much affection) along with the ongoing preparations for the wedding barely make a dent in Gere's charming, compassionate demeanor. Then his golf course hires a new female pro who's everything the other women in his life are not--independent, self-confident, Helen Hunt--and Dr. T finds himself with yet another woman to love. Though the minor characters are mostly nasty little caricatures, the film is not the bitter misogynistic rant its detractors claim it is; the problems in Dr. T's life are placed squarely on his own inability to see that women don't need his genteel protection, and Gere perfectly captures this sweet yet cond! escending blind spot. --Bruce ReidIn director Robert Al! tman's s tar-studded new ensemble comedy, Richard Gere is a frantically overworked, socially in-demand gynecologist whose life is coming apart at the seams. His wife (Farrah Fawcett) has regressed into a childlike state, while one daughter (Tara Reid) is raising suspicions about the relationship between his soon-to-be-married other daughter (Kate Hudson) and her maid of honor (Liv Tyler). Meanwhile, just as his champagne-loving sister-in-law (Laura Dern) arrives with three nieces in tow, the doctor falls for the sexy new golf pro (Helen Hunt). As complications mount, the good doctor's life rapidly approaches the force of a Texas tornado!Loose-limbed and casual even for a Robert Altman movie, Dr. T & the Women has a sly, offhanded wit that makes up for its ramshackle structure. Richard Gere's eponymous gynecologist seems the model of success: his office is packed daily with the cream of Dallas's society matrons clamoring for an appointment, his home life is blessed with loving! wife Farrah Fawcett and daughters Tara Reid and Kate Hudson, and when he needs a break from the estrogen congestion there are always weekends to be spent with his trio of hunting buddies. But on a trip to the mall to shop for Hudson's upcoming nuptials, Fawcett strips naked and leaps about in a waterfall. Her subsequent incarceration in a mental hospital (she's diagnosed with the fictional "Hestia complex," suffering from receiving too much affection) along with the ongoing preparations for the wedding barely make a dent in Gere's charming, compassionate demeanor. Then his golf course hires a new female pro who's everything the other women in his life are not--independent, self-confident, Helen Hunt--and Dr. T finds himself with yet another woman to love. Though the minor characters are mostly nasty little caricatures, the film is not the bitter misogynistic rant its detractors claim it is; the problems in Dr. T's life are placed squarely on his own inability to see that w! omen don't need his genteel protection, and Gere perfectly cap! tures th is sweet yet condescending blind spot. --Bruce ReidMaverick director Robert Altman handpicked country star Lyle Lovett to score his latest film, and with the help of pianist Matt Rollings and bassist Victor Krauss, Lovett has accomplished the feat with his usual level of professionalism and personal touch. Lovett has always been one of Nashville's outsiders, soulful and smooth yet intelligent and menacing, just as likely to emote from a gospel shout or blues holler as from the expected Nashville twang. "You've Been So Good Up to Now" and "She's Already Made Up Her Mind" are reprised from Lovett's acclaimed Joshua Judges Ruth album, and the tracks are indicative of Lovett's subtle touch, as both unpeel their emotional turmoil slowly. The new instrumental numbers range from the haunting theme and the New Orleans goodtime of "Opening Credits," to the old-time honky-tonk of "Golf Cart Love" (which begs for a Lovett vocal) and somber piano ballad "Lady of the Lake."! Mostly, though, it's lots of barrelhouse piano and fiddle-fussing around from a simpler time. The one new vocal number, "Ain't It Somethin'," is a dirge about how we silly humans can make the most mundane things seem so significant. --Rob O'Connor Loose-limbed and casual even for a Robert Altman movie, Dr. T & the Women has a sly, offhanded wit that makes up for its ramshackle structure. Richard Gere's eponymous gynecologist seems the model of success: his office is packed daily with the cream of Dallas's society matrons clamoring for an appointment, his home life is blessed with loving wife Farrah Fawcett and daughters Tara Reid and Kate Hudson, and when he needs a break from the estrogen congestion there are always weekends to be spent with his trio of hunting buddies. But on a trip to the mall to shop for Hudson's upcoming nuptials, Fawcett strips naked and leaps about in a waterfall. Her subsequent incarceration in a mental hospital (she's diagnosed wit! h the fictional "Hestia complex," suffering from receiving too! much af fection) along with the ongoing preparations for the wedding barely make a dent in Gere's charming, compassionate demeanor. Then his golf course hires a new female pro who's everything the other women in his life are not--independent, self-confident, Helen Hunt--and Dr. T finds himself with yet another woman to love. Though the minor characters are mostly nasty little caricatures, the film is not the bitter misogynistic rant its detractors claim it is; the problems in Dr. T's life are placed squarely on his own inability to see that women don't need his genteel protection, and Gere perfectly captures this sweet yet condescending blind spot. --Bruce ReidQI GONG FOR BEGINNERS/ is the perfect way to explore and experience the numerous benefits of Qi Gong. Used for thousands of years in China to build energy, improve & maintain health and cultivate peace of mind, these easy to learn practices are designed to enhance you vitality and well being. This DVD contains 8 c! ustomized routines to increase your physical and mental energy, reduce stress, improve balance and help with flexibility.
DVD HIGHLIGHTS: - 8 customized routines to learn the Eight Pieces of Brocade Qi Gong
- Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions
- Exclusive Interview with the instructor
- Modifications of poses for less-flexible people
- Routines from 5 - 45 minutes
From the creators at bodywisdom media comes a new expert line of DVDs! Excite, inspire and encourage your journey of healthy and balanced living.
Qi Gong and Tai Chi master Chris Pei leads tailored workouts ranging from 5 to 45 minutes. This safe and effective program is suitable for every body, all ages and schedules.This fitted tee features the one and only Dr. Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.Get ready for unlimited thrills and chills as all six of Universal's classic Inner Sanctum Mysteries come to DVD f! or the first time ever. You'll have a hauntingly good time wi! th horro r icon Lon Chaney, Jr., as he gives timeless performances in these spooky feature-length films: Calling Dr. Death, Weird Woman, Dead Man's Eyes, The Frozen Ghost, Strange Confession and Pillow of Death. Based on the popular radio shows of the 1940's, this collectible set is a must-own for every classic mystery and horror fan. Death, dementia, dark arts...it's just another day in the forbidding and fascinating world of the Inner Sanctum! Calling Dr. Death (1943): A distraught doctor is tormented by voices in his head that are urging him to end his unhappy marriage - forever. Weird Woman (1944): Sorcery and superstition take a walk down the aisle when a professor marries a woman raised in the jungle by voodoo witchcraft practitioners and then dismisses her ominous warnings. Dead Man's Eyes (1944): When an artist loses his sight in a freak accident, his future father-in-law promises to bequeath his own eyes upon his death - which ends up being much, much sooner than anyone! could foresee. The Frozen Ghost (1945): Things are certainly not what they seem when a hypnotist takes refuge in the spectacular mansion of a female friend who made her money from a creepy wax museum. Strange Confession (1945): A brilliant chemist with the key to the cure for influenza is force to take drastic measures when his greedy boss prematurely releases the unfinished drug to the public. Pillow of Death (1945): A psychopathic killer is on the loose, so the eccentric and wealthy Kincaid family calls in a psychic investigator to put an end to the mysterious murders haunting their household."This is the Inner Sanctum...." And this is the world of B-movies, where Hollywood studios churned out entertaining little numbers to fill out an evening back in the Golden Age. Universal's Inner Sanctum series, released in 1943-45, was inspired by the successful radio show of the same title. They're gathered on Inner Sanctum Mysteries: The Complete Movie Collection! , a fun grouping of a minor cinematic achievement.

All six! films s tar the phlegmatic Lon Chaney Jr., and most begin with a floating head in the crystal ball, welcoming us to the inner sanctum, "A strange, fantastic world, controlled by a mass of living, pulsating flesh... the mind." The vaguely supernatural promise of this grabby opening is rarely fulfilled by the movies, which tend to be acceptable murder mysteries with--despite the wacky titles--very little horror content. Chaney plays a man of some distinction (a professor in Weird Woman, famous mentalist in The Frozen Ghost, physician in Calling Dr. Death) who runs afoul of women (among them Evelyn Ankers and Patricia Morison) and murder. At some point in each movie he has some elaborate voice-over agony, making clear the connection to the radio series' interior monologue. The one-hour-and-change productions are handsome, considering their budget restrictions, and Universal's prints are well-preserved; the literacy of the writing is surprisingly high--although dece! nt writing can't put much zip into the proceedings.

Weird Woman is probably the best of the bunch, an adaptation of Fritz Leiber's novel Conjure Wife (later filmed as Burn, Witch, Burn!). Chaney is an expert on superstition who marries a voodoo-obsessed woman, whose spells might be responsible for his rapid professional rise. The influence of Cat People is as strong as the source novel. Calling Dr. Death, the first in the series, is duller, with a hypnotism-minded Chaney bedeviled by a wanton wife who conveniently dies under mysterious circumstances. Dead Man's Eyes and the amazingly-titled Pillow of Death are more fun, the former a variation on the old eye-transplant story and the latter a whodunit with lawyer Chaney accused of his wife's murder (the supernatural touch this time: séances).

Strange Confession has Chaney as an honest chemist battling an evil pharmaceutical tycoon (J. Carrol Naish), and Th! e Frozen Ghost combines two horror staples, the unstable m! entalist and the wax museum. It's just crazy enough to be entertaining, even if there's no ghost (and hardly any freezing). All in all, the DVD set is a good look at Universal's second-tier output of the era. And then there's Chaney, whose jowly steadfastness can become weirdly fascinating if you watch a few of these close together. Universal put him hard to work after the success of 1941's The Wolf Man, and alongside his monster-movie excursions and his singular triumph in Of Mice and Men, the Inner Sanctum pictures represent Chaney's best moment as a leading man. Despite his limitations, he'll always have his spot in the Universal galaxy. --Robert Horton

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