Far Side of the Moon

• Based on his stage play of the same name, Robert Lepage directs and stars in this drama about a day-dreamy man still very much infuenced by the pull of his deceased mother. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR Age: 807839002331 UPC: 807839002331 Manufacturer No: TLAD156

From the creator and director of Cirque du Soleils hit show K (Robert Lepage) comes this visually dazzling, playfully surreal and wryly comedic look at the human quest for meaning. Reminiscent of a French-Canadian Woody Allen, Lepage himself stars in the dual roles of Phillippe and Andre, brothers from Quebec at odds after the loss of their mother. Featuring a fantastic score and breathtaking special effects, Far Side of the Moon is a whimsical and irreverently hilarious look at the effects of gravity on the human soul.A quiet film by French-Canadian Robert Lepage (creator of Cirque du Soleil's hit "Ka" production), ! Far Side of the Moon is a thoughtful look at a middle-aged man who is lonely, underemployed, and respected by no one--not even his twin brother. Lepage plays the dual roles of outcast Phillippe, a fortysomething telemarketer trying to earn his doctorate, and Andre, a selfish and lazy weatherman. When their mother dies, Phillippe is heartbroken. Andre is more pragmatic--she was sick, it was her time to go. Some of the film's best moments are of a somber Phillippe having a conversation with his unseen brother. When he calls Andre to ask if he'll take care of their mom's goldfish, the viewer can extrapolate exactly what Andre said by Phillippe's comment: "You're allergic when you eat fish, not when you feed it." Spoken in French, the film's most poignant and dynamic vignettes aren't of Phillippe's recollections of his mother, but his moments alone videotaping all the things that mean the most to him, which he hopes will be archived for any extraterrestrials who may be c! urious about earth. The film moves at a slow pace that belies ! its runn ing time of 106 minutes. But it's a charming film, with a surreal ending that befits a dreamer like Phillippe. --Jae-Ha Kim

House of Wax (Widescreen Edition)

• House of Wax tells the story of a group of friends who fall prey to a sinister plot while passing through a small town on their way to a college football game.Running Time: 113 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R Age: 085393894528 UPC: 085393894528 Manufacturer No: 38945

"House of Wax tells the story of a group of friends who fall prey to a sinister plot while passing through a small town on their way to a college football game. ""Discomfortingly gratuitous even by slasher standards."" Benjamin Strong / THE VILLAGE VOICE "You know the one about the group of horny kids who get offed one by one? Yeah, so do director Jaume Collet-Serra and his screenwriters, who have updated an old Vincent Price flick and sandwiched it between hearty slices of The Blair Witch Project and various Friday the 13th films. Lots of WB and Fox network hotties--including 24's Elisha ! Cuthbert, One Tree Hill's Chad Michael Murray, and, well, Paris Hilton--have car trouble and stumble onto a town populated by real killer personalities. The R-rated result is fairly gruesome and, though no one ever quite looks frightened enough, Collet-Serra knows his way around a jolting suspense sequence or two. Cuthbert and an unintentionally funny Murray (striking ludicrous poses as some kind of real toughie) act more like angry ex-lovers than the fraternal twins they're supposed to be; Hilton acts bored while her real-life video scandal is exploited for ironic kicks; and the film heads shamelessly over-the-top with each new twist. As an exercise in bloody mayhem, it has a few novel touches, but you can easily find better scares. --Steve Wiecking