Monday, November 14, 2011

Collateral Damage [Blu-ray]

  • Surging excitement and one-man heroics fuel this powerful action thriller from the director of The Fugitive and Under Siege. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a fireman whose wife and child are killed in a terrorist bombing and who obsessively tracks the mastermind (Cliff Curtis) behind it, from Los Angeles to Colombia to Washington, DC. The fanatic plans to strike again in Washington?but how? When? Whe
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER DELIVERS A NAIL-BITING EXCITEMENT AND BOLD ONE-MAN HEROICS AS A LOS ANGELES FIREMAN WHO SEEKS REVENGE AFTER HIS WIFE AND SON ARE KILLED IN A TERRORIST BOMBING. SCHWARZENEGGER TRACKS THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FROM COLOMBIA TOWASHINGTON, D.C. IN A RACE TO STOP HIM BEFORE HE STRIKES AGAIN.Arnold Schwarzenegger's loyal fans get what they want in this routine but rousing revenge thriller, which pits the aging action star against a Colombian guerrilla terrorist. Schwarzenegger plays a Lo! s Angeles fireman who witnesses the killing of his wife and young son, caused by the terrorist's bombing in a crowded L.A. pavilion. Despite intense scrutiny by FBI and CIA officials, Arnie infiltrates the terrorist's remote jungle compound, enlists the aid of the villain's seemingly trustworthy wife (Francesca Neri), and plots to foil another bombing in Washington, D.C. Director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) maintains adequate plausibility even when Schwarzenegger's survival grows absurdly unlikely, and lively roles for John Turturro and John Leguizamo add welcomed spice to the movie's impressive display of military ordnance. Despite its formulaic plot and Arnold's advancing seniority, Collateral Damage still manages to pack an entertaining punch. --Jeff Shannon Through all their adventures, the bond of the Sisterhood has remained steadfast and unshakeable. But for the first time, the Sisterhood verges on falling apart when the ladies have to choose betw! een two difficult assignments. The first job guarantees a huge! paychec k; the second offers a presidential pardon - and a chance to finally emerge from hiding.For the sake of their union, the gals put aside their differences and focus on a new mission. A mysterious Washington, D.C. political operative needs them to track down a computer hacker who has stolen a highly classified list of fundraisers' names. With a presidential election looming, the girls soon realise that the job is a lot more dangerous than they had anticipated. Will their client come through with his promise? And can the ladies stop fighting - and stay alive - long enough to see it happen?Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 06/07/2011 Run time: 351 minutesSurging excitement and one-man heroics fuel this powerful action thriller from the director of The Fugitive and Under Siege. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a fireman whose wife and child are killed in a terrorist bombing and who obsessively tracks the mastermind (Cliff Curtis) behind it, from Los Angeles to Colombia to Wash! ington, DC. The fanatic plans to strike again in Washington…but how? When? Where? In the scramble for answers, one thing is clear: Collateral Damage is a ticking time bomb of suspense.Arnold Schwarzenegger's loyal fans get what they want in this routine but rousing revenge thriller, which pits the aging action star against a Colombian guerrilla terrorist. Schwarzenegger plays a Los Angeles fireman who witnesses the killing of his wife and young son, caused by the terrorist's bombing in a crowded L.A. pavilion. Despite intense scrutiny by FBI and CIA officials, Arnie infiltrates the terrorist's remote jungle compound, enlists the aid of the villain's seemingly trustworthy wife (Francesca Neri), and plots to foil another bombing in Washington, D.C. Director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive) maintains adequate plausibility even when Schwarzenegger's survival grows absurdly unlikely, and lively roles for John Turturro and John Leguizamo add welcomed spice to the movie's impr! essive display of military ordnance. Despite its formulaic plo! t and Ar nold's advancing seniority, Collateral Damage still manages to pack an entertaining punch. --Jeff Shannon

A Teen's Game Plan for Life

  • ISBN13: 9781933495095
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Written with the sports fan in mind, Game Plan for Life is an “average Joe’s” guide to what the Bible has to say about such topics as relationships; finances; physical, emotional, and spiritual health; finding the right vocation; living a life of purpose; and overcoming sin and addiction. Written by 3-time Super Bowl and NASCAR championship winning coach/owner Joe Gibbs, edited by Jerry Jenkins, and featuring contributions from Randy Alcorn, Ravi Zacharias, John Lennox, Tony Evans, Chuck Colson, Josh McDowell, Don Meredith, Walt Larimore, Ron Blue, Ken Boa, and Os Guinness, the New York Times best-selling Game Plan for Life shows readers how to live a balanced, God-centered, ! purpose-filled life, using examples from Coach Gibbs’ own storied championship careers as a backdrop. This book is a perfect blend of sports and basic theology, designed to bring God’s Word home to sports fans of all generations.

Men everywhere are under attack-your neighbor, your coworker, your pastor, even your husband. And, even in Christian homes, 40% of men have fallen to this foe that can destroy marriages and ruin lives.

Who is this devastating adversary? Pornography. It floods our airwaves and PCs, assaulting the senses, and luring its prey to return again and again.

Drawing from seventeen years of counseling practice, and using material that he's taught for more than ten years, Joe Dallas is helping readers face this enemy. Equipping those who have been caught up in pornography or other forms of sexual sin with the ability to abandon that behavior and never return.

Using the acronym ROUTE-Repentance, Order, Understanding, Training, and! Endurance-Dallas walks readers through the steps necessary to! attain- and maintain-sexual integrity.

"No one understands this subject better than Joe Dallas. And nowhere is there a more biblical and user-friendly 'game plan' for Christian men committed to reclaiming moral purity. A resource no man should be without!" --Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast

"Joe Dallas has written a practical handbook for men who want to get serious about their purity. The Game Plan is the tool that answers one of the most troubling problems in the church today, and it does so with compassion, clarity, and a sound biblical base."--D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.

"You may beat your demon the first time through The Game Plan or you may need it through a long season, but it's a worthy companion. Joe's advice is sound and his format is friendly."--Tom Minnery, Focus on the Family

"I can tell you without hesitation that The Game Plan is one of the best books I've ever read ! on this important topic."--Robert Adrescok, Editor, New Man Magazine

Onced deemed a menace to society by a judge who sentenced him to 15 years in 1992, Randy Kearse, author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur served 13 years, 6 months and 2 days in federal prison. He returned to society with a new perspective, a fresh focus, and strong determination to succeed. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. Randy grew up in Farragut housing projects. He provides people with a formula to turn a negative situation into a positive opportunity.Onced deemed a menace to society by a judge who sentenced him to 15 years in 1992, Randy Kearse, author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur served 13 years, 6 months and 2 days in federal prison. He returned to society with a new perspective, a fresh focus, and strong determination to succeed. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. Randy grew up in Farragut housing projects. He provides people with a formula to turn a negative situation into a pos! itive opportunity.

“Each member of your team has the po! tential for personal greatness; the leader’s job is to help them achieve it.”
â€"JOHN WOODEN

Coach Wooden’s Leadership Game Plan for Success presents a unique opportunity to study under the man ESPN hails as “the greatest coach of the 20th century.” Practicing character-based leadership before the term was invented, John Wooden consistently led his legendary teams to victory and has since taught countless business leaders his fundamentals for achieving and sustaining success.

Now, using this hands-on book based on the acclaimed John Wooden Leadership Course©, you can “interact” with Coach to learn and apply his philosophy of world-class leadership. This unique tutorial introduces you to his core fundamentals of success as a leader and reinforces them with examples, exercises, quizzes, and quotations. You’ll learn how to

  • Create a relationship of respect and c! amaraderie with those you lead
  • Remain alert to opportunity, threats, trends, and changes
  • Act with confi denceâ€"but never arrogance
  • Practice moderation and balance in all that you do
  • Be a model of poise, grace, and reasonâ€"especially under pressure

Coach Wooden’s Leadership Game Plan for Success drives home Mr. Wooden’s trademark 12 Lessons in Leadership and his famous Pyramid of Success.

When you base your leadership style and substance on Coach’s straightforward attitudes, values, and principles, you’ll lead your team and business to success the Wooden way.

Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why? Or forgotten
someone’s name right after you heard it? Maybe you’re just not thinking as clearly as you used to, and you’re growing worried. Well, have no fear. This revolutionary program can help you Improve your everyday memory up to 7! 8%!

Prevention, America’s leading healthy ! lifestyl e magazine, teamed
up with one of the country’s most notable memory experts, Cynthia R. Green, PhD, to create Brainpower Game Planâ€"the first brain fitness book to translate cutting-edge research into a comprehensive, doable, day-by-day program that promises real results.
After decades of helping to mold teenagers into adults as a highly successful football coach, including a national championship as the coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Lou Holtz shares a common sense message with teens in an easily understood game plan for life. He speaks clearly and persuasively to a generation that is "being asked to make important decisions that have adult consequences earlier than any previous generation." "In today's social climate," he tells them, "your ability to know how to make good decisions becomes more important than ever before." Lou Holtz is a highly sought-after speaker and author who for years has challenged and motivated adults. Now in a boo! k that parents will want for their teen-age children he spells out his tested, proven game plan for life. Teens that want to define their life goals and then go about reaching them will want to read A TEEN'S GAME PLAN FOR LIFE.

American Racing Vintage T70R (Series VNT70R) Gun Metal With Machined Lip - 15 X 7 Inch Wheel

  • Gun metal gray finish with machined lip
  • Five spoke design
  • Two-piece aluminum with center cap Included
  • One year finish warranty
  • Lifetime structural warranty
With its hot rod styling, the American Racing Vintage series VNT70R series wheel has that classic look and is solid to the core. This wheel offers a gun metal gray finish with machined lip. Two-piece painted aluminum with center cap and a one year finish and a lifetime structural warranty. In the late '50s, the original five-spoke American Racing Torq Thrust ® wheel was introduced. It is considered by many to be the most famous drag and hot rod wheel of all time. Now, more than 50 years later, American Racing continues its tradition of excellence in period correct and custom wheels for hot rods, muscle cars and restoration applications.

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer

  • In the summer heat of a small Arizona border town, sparks start to fly for three Garcia girls. America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) plays 17-year-old Blanca, who discovers romance, love, and lust for the first time with the new bad boy in town. Her divorced mother Lolita (Elizabeth Pe a, Rush Hour), seems to have hit a dry spell until the husband of one of her customers pays a visit. Meanwhile, Blanca s g
As sweltering summer and romantic drought stretches over a sun-bleached Arizona border town, the Garcia Girls lovingly explore the terrain of longing, desire, and self-realization among three generations of women in a Mexican American family.

Calvaire: The Ordeal

  • In the tradition of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, PSYCHO and DELIVERANCE comes this chilling Belgian horror that pushes the limits of shock filmmaking. Director and co-writer Fabrice Du Welz masterfully evokes a sense of deeply disturbing terror as Marc Stevens world goes profoundly and utterly wrong. When his car breaks down in the middle of the isolated backcountry, he s forced to seek refuge in a ru
In the tradition of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, PSYCHO and DELIVERANCE comes this chilling Belgian horror that pushes the limits of shock filmmaking. Director and co-writer Fabrice Du Welz masterfully evokes a sense of deeply disturbing terror as Marc Stevens’ world goes profoundly and utterly wrong. When his car breaks down in the middle of the isolated backcountry, he’s forced to seek refuge in a rural inn. Marc is taken in by Bartel, a lonely and psychologically fragile innkeeper who promises! to help. But when Marc catches him dismantling his car, he realizes that the innkeeper has other plans for him â€" sadistic plans that will push him to the bounds of human pain and suffering.

2 Halloween Skeleton Yard Flamingos Lawn Decor Ornaments - Great for Halloween Haunted House or Over the Hill Party Decorations

  • Molded Plastic
  • Made in the USA
  • Painted on bones
  • One Long Neck + One Short Neck Flamingo
  • Wire legs included
The film which ushered in the modern age of horror stands well above its many sequels and clones because John Carpenter's taut direction makes it truly scary. Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut role plays a babysitter who must protect herself from the deadly Michael Myers a mental institution escapee who killed his sister on Halloween fifteen years earlier. Called "the most successful independent motion picture of all time" HALLOWEEN is also one of most frightening films ever made.System Requirements:Running Time: 92 mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 013131542899 Manufacturer No: DV15428Halloween is as pure and undiluted as its title. In the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, a teenage baby sitter tries to survive a Halloween nigh! t of relentless terror, during which a knife-wielding maniac goes after the town's hormonally charged youths. Director John Carpenter takes this simple situation and orchestrates a superbly mounted symphony of horrors. It's a movie much scarier for its dark spaces and ominous camera movements than for its explicit bloodletting (which is actually minimal). Composed by Carpenter himself, the movie's freaky music sets the tone; and his script (cowritten with Debra Hill) is laced with references to other horror pictures, especially Psycho. The baby sitter is played by Jamie Lee Curtis, the real-life daughter of Psycho victim Janet Leigh; and the obsessed policeman played by Donald Pleasence is named Sam Loomis, after John Gavin's character in Psycho. In the end, though, Halloween stands on its own as an uncannily frightening experience--it's one of those movies that had audiences literally jumping out of their seats and shouting at the screen. ("No! ! Don't drop that knife!") Produced on a low budget, the picture! turned a monster profit, and spawned many sequels, none of which approached the 1978 original. Curtis returned for two more installments: 1981's dismal Halloween II, which picked up the story the day after the unfortunate events, and 1998's occasionally gripping Halloween H20, which proved the former baby sitter was still haunted after 20 years. --Robert Horton Halloween is as pure and undiluted as its title. In the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, a teenage baby sitter tries to survive a Halloween night of relentless terror, during which a knife-wielding maniac goes after the town's hormonally charged youths. Director John Carpenter takes this simple situation and orchestrates a superbly mounted symphony of horrors. It's a movie much scarier for its dark spaces and ominous camera movements than for its explicit bloodletting (which is actually minimal). Composed by Carpenter himself, the movie's freaky music sets the tone; and his script (cowritten w! ith Debra Hill) is laced with references to other horror pictures, especially Psycho. The baby sitter is played by Jamie Lee Curtis, the real-life daughter of Psycho victim Janet Leigh; and the obsessed policeman played by Donald Pleasence is named Sam Loomis, after John Gavin's character in Psycho. In the end, though, Halloween stands on its own as an uncannily frightening experience--it's one of those movies that had audiences literally jumping out of their seats and shouting at the screen. ("No! Don't drop that knife!") Produced on a low budget, the picture turned a monster profit, and spawned many sequels, none of which approached the 1978 original. Curtis returned for two more installments: 1981's dismal Halloween II, which picked up the story the day after the unfortunate events, and 1998's occasionally gripping Halloween H20, which proved the former baby sitter was still haunted after 20 years. --Robert HortonThis pair! of skelamingos are molded black plastic with painted on bones! . You wi ll get One Long neck measuring 30 Inches tall and One short Neck measuring up 27 inches tall. This lovely pair of Skelamingos are great for Over The Hill Partys, Halloween Decorations And make a great Gag Gifts. They will last for years to come.

Star Wars, Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (Junior Novelization)

  • ISBN13: 9780439681247
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
In this lavish thirtieth-anniversary tribute to the blockbuster film Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, New York Times bestselling author J. W. Rinzler draws back the curtain to reveal the intense drama and magnificent wizardry behind the hit movieâ€"arguably the fan favorite of the Star Wars Saga.
 
Following his The Making of Star Wars, the author has once again made use of his unlimited access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its hidden treasures of previously unpublished interviews, photos, artwork, and production mementos. The result is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes, up-close-and-personal look at the trials and triumphs, risks and close calls, inspiration,! perspiration, and imagination that went into every facet of this cinematic masterpiece. Here’s the inside scoop on:
 
• the evolution of the script, from story conference and treatment to fifth draft, as conceived, written, and rewritten by George Lucas, famed science-fiction author Leigh Brackett, and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan

• the development of new key characters, including roguish hero Lando Calrissian, sinister bounty hunter Boba Fett, and iconic Jedi Master Yoda

• the challenges of shooting the epic ice planet battle in the frozen reaches of Norway and of conjuring up convincing creatures and craftâ€"from tauntauns and snowspeeders to Imperial walkers

• the construction of a life-sized Millennium Falcon and the swamp planet Dagobah inside a specially built soundstage in Elstree Studios

• the technique behind master Muppeteer Frank Oz’s breathing life into the breakthrough character Yoda

• th! e creation of the new, improved Industrial Light & Magic visua! l effect s facility and the founding of the now-legendary Skywalker Ranch
 
In addition, of course, are rare on-the-scene interviews with all the major players: actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and David Prowse; director Irvin Kershner; producer Gary Kurtz; effects specialists Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, and Phil Tippett; composer John Williams; and many others. Punctuating the epic account is a bounty of drawings, storyboards, and paintings by Ralph McQuarrie, Joe Johnston, and Ivor Beddoes, along with classic and rare production photos. An added bonus is a Foreword by acclaimed director Ridley Scott.
 
The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a fittingly glorious celebration of an undisputed space-fantasy movie milestone. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.Although they had won a significant battle, the war between the Rebels and the Empire had really jus! t begun. Soon, Luke, Han, the princess and their faithful companions were forced to flee, scattering in all directions--the Dark Lord's minions in fevered pursuit....From the Rebels' defeat at the Battle of Hoth to the battle between Luke and Darth Vader, The Empire Strikes Back continues the story of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, and the others as they struggle to overthrow the evil Galactic Empire. This abridgment of the classic story is complemented by nearly 150 two-color illustrations--based on images from the film--drawn by Brandon McKinney in a style reminiscent of comic books from the 1950s. Star Wars fans of all ages will be delighted with this beautiful little gift book. --C.B. DelaneyTwenty-five years after the phenomenon was born, Star Wars remains one of the greatest fantasy sagas ever told. Here is the original, complete Star Wars trilogy, featuring the novels of all three classic films, Star Wars: A New Hope, Star War! s: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of th! e Jedi.< /i> Read these stories and rediscover the wonder of the epic that begins:

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. . . . 

Luke Skywalker lived and worked on his uncle's farm on the remote planet of Tatooine. But he yearned for adventures out among the stars -- exotic travels that would take him beyond the farthest reaches of the universe to distant, alien worlds. But when Luke intercepted a cryptic message from a beautiful, captive Princess, he would be catapulted into the adventure of a lifetime.

Luke Skywalker, the proud Princess Leia, and headstrong Han Solo . . . merciless Darth Vader, wise Obi-Wan Kenobi, loyal droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, and the inscrutable Yoda . . . Chewbacca the Wookiee, shifty Lando Calrissian, and the vile Jabba the Hutt -- all the vivid characters from the Star Wars universe spring to life in these thrilling pages.

The Star Wars Trilogy is a must-read for anyone who wants to relive the excitement! , the magic, and the sheer entertainment of this legendary saga -- now and forever. 

Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!Imagines what would have happened had Luke Skywalker frozen to death on the planet Hoth, had Cloud City been destroyed by Darth Vader, and had Princess Leia trained to be a Jedi by Yoda in her brother's place.
Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker. Father vs. son. An amazing all-new novelization that will tie in with the blockbuster classic Star Wars DVD release.

Food, Inc.

  • In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farm
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 05/13/2008 Run time: 82 minutes Rating: PgGeorge, Dave, Ray, and Rodney. Not a singing group, but four real-life individuals dedicated to controlling the entities that don't take kindly to their efforts. George Mendonca is a topiary gardener who spends his time taming tendrils of plant life into animal shapes. Why? Because he can, and apparently it's no easy job. One slip of the clipper and a green and leafy body part can go bye-bye for years. Dave Hoo! ver takes on big cats under the big top. An admirer of the famous lion tamer, Clyde Beatty, Dave comes out of the lion ring covered with sweat. Not from working hard, but from hand-trembling fear. Ray Mendez, a mole-rat expert, waxes eloquently about the social structure of these sightless, hairless natural wonders who wear their teeth on the outside of their lips. But if you want to see a real wacko at work, watch Rodney Brooks, a robotics expert who is convinced our extinction will be the first step in a takeover of tin men.

In Fast, Cheap & Out of Control, documentarian Errol Morris proves that the weird and obscure are just as interesting as the rich and famous. Morris tries to add depth to his subjects with his out-of-control editing technique, which after a while becomes an annoying distraction; these guys are fascinating enough all by themselves. The blare of the background music is also a bit much. Despite these shortcomings, though, if you like taking a! voyeuristic peek into other people's lives, Fast, Cheap & ! Out of C ontrol gives you plenty to look at. --Luanne BrownGeorge, Dave, Ray, and Rodney. Not a singing group, but four real-life individuals dedicated to controlling the entities that don't take kindly to their efforts. George Mendonca is a topiary gardener who spends his time taming tendrils of plant life into animal shapes. Why? Because he can, and apparently it's no easy job. One slip of the clipper and a green and leafy body part can go bye-bye for years. Dave Hoover takes on big cats under the big top. An admirer of the famous lion tamer, Clyde Beatty, Dave comes out of the lion ring covered with sweat. Not from working hard, but from hand-trembling fear. Ray Mendez, a mole-rat expert, waxes eloquently about the social structure of these sightless, hairless natural wonders who wear their teeth on the outside of their lips. But if you want to see a real wacko at work, watch Rodney Brooks, a robotics expert who is convinced our extinction will be the first step in a ta! keover of tin men.

In Fast, Cheap & Out of Control, documentarian Errol Morris proves that the weird and obscure are just as interesting as the rich and famous. Morris tries to add depth to his subjects with his out-of-control editing technique, which after a while becomes an annoying distraction; these guys are fascinating enough all by themselves. The blare of the background music is also a bit much. Despite these shortcomings, though, if you like taking a voyeuristic peek into other people's lives, Fast, Cheap & Out of Control gives you plenty to look at. --Luanne BrownHailed by Roger Ebert as "one of America's strangest and most brilliant documentary filmmakers" (Chicago Sun-Times), Errol Morris (The Fog of War) brings his unrivalled talents to the small screen for a stylized series of intimate interviews with a unique and fascinating array of people. With the aid of his "Interrotron" â€" an innovative camera device Morris invented to maintain ! merciless eye contact with his subjects â€" the Oscar®-winnin! g* direc tor puts his odd assortment of eclectic characters and atypical topics under the microscope to produce "revelatory, whip-smart television" (Baltimore City Paper).Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the
livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation.

Q&A with Producer/Director Robert Kenner, Co-Producer/Food Expert Eric Schlosser, Food Expert Michael Pollan and Producer Elise Pearlstein

How did this film initially come about?
Kenner: Eric Schlosser and I had been wanting to do a documentary version of his book, Fast Food Nation.  And, for one reason! or another, it didn't happen. By the time Food, Inc. started to come together, we began talking and realized that all food has become like fast food, and all food is being created in the same manner as fast food.

How has fast food changed the food we buy at the supermarket?
Schlosser: The enormous buying power of the fast food industry helped to transform the entire food production system of the United States.  So even when you purchase food at the supermarket, you’re likely to be getting products that came from factories, feedlots and suppliers that emerged to serve the fast food chains.

How many years did it take to do this film and what were the challenges?
Kenner: From when Eric and I began talking, about 6 or 7 years.  The film itself about 2 ½ years.  It has taken a lot longer than we expected because we were denied access to so many places.

Pe! arlstein: When Robby brought me into the project, he ! was adam ant about wanting to hear all sides of the story, but it was nearly impossible to gain access onto industrial farms and into large food corporations.  They just would not let us in.  It felt like it would have been easier to penetrate the Pentagon than to get into a company that makes breakfast cereal.  The legal challenges on this film were also unique.  We found it necessary to consult with a first amendment lawyer throughout the entire filming process.

Who or what influenced your film?
Kenner: This film was really influenced by Eric Schlosser and Fast Food Nation, but then as we were progressing and had actually gotten funding, it became very influenced as well by Michael Pollan and his book Omnivore’s Dilemma. 

And then, as we went out into the world, we became really incredibly influenced by a lot of the farmers we met.

What was the most surprising thing you learned?!
Kenner: As we set out to find out how our food was made, I think the thing that really became most shocking is when we were talking to a woman, Barbara Kowalcyk, who had lost her son to eating a hamburger with E. coli, and she’s now dedicated her life to trying to make the food system safer. It’s the only way she can recover from the loss of her child. But when I asked her what she eats, she told me she couldn't tell me because she would be sued if she answered.

Or we see Carol possibly losing her chicken farm … or we see Moe, a seed cleaner who’s just being sued for amounts that there’s no way he can pay, even though he’s not guilty of anything.  Then we realized there’s something going on out there that supersedes foods. Our rights are being denied in ways that I had never imagined. And it was scary and shocking. And that was my biggest surprise.

So, what does our current industrialized food system say about ou! r values as a nation?
Pollan:
It says we value c! heap, fa st and easy when it comes to food like so many other things, and we have lost any connection to where our food comes from.

Kenner: I met a cattle rancher and he said, you know, we used to be scared of the Soviet Union or we used to think we were so much better than the Soviet Union because we had many places to buy things.  And we had many choices.  We thought if we were ever taken over, we’d be dominated where we’d have to buy one thing from one company, and how that’s not the American way.  And he said you look around now, and there’s like one or two companies dominating everything in the food world. We’ve become what we were always terrified of.

And that just always haunted me â€" how could this happen in America?  It seems very un-American that we would be so dominated, and then so intimidated by the companies that are dominating this marketplace.

How has the revolving door relationship between giant food com! panies and Washington affected the food industry?
Pearlstein:
We discovered that the food industry has managed to shape a lot of laws in their favor.  For example, massive factory farms are not considered real factories, so they are exempt from emissions standards that other factories face.  A surprising degree of regulation is voluntary, not mandatory, which ends up favoring the industry. 

What have been the consequences for the American consumer?
Kenner:
Most American consumers think that we are being protected.  But that is not the case.  Right now the USDA does not have the authority to shut down a plant that is producing contaminated meat.  The FDA and the USDA have had their inspectors cut back.  And it’s for these companies now to self-police, and what we’ve found is, when there’s a financial interest involved, these companies would rather make the money and be sued than correct it.  Self-policing has really j! ust been a miserable failure.  And I think that's been really! quite h armful to the American consumer and to the American worker. 

Pearlstein: The food industry has succeeded in keeping some very important information about their products hidden from consumers.  It’s outrageous that genetically modified foods don’t need to be labeled.  Today more than 70% of processed foods in the supermarket are genetically modified and we have absolutely no way of knowing.  Whatever your position, you should have the right to make informed choices, and we don’t.  Now the FDA is contemplating whether or not to label meat and milk from cloned cows.  It seems very basic that consumers should have the right to know if they’re eating a cloned steak.

Is it possible to feed a nation of millions without this kind of industrialized processing?
Pollan:
Yes.  There are alternative ways of producing food that could improve Americans’ health.  Quality matters as much as quantity and yield is not the! measure of a healthy food system.  Quantity improves a population’s health up to a point; after that, quality and diversity matters more.  And it’s wrong to assume that the industrialized food system is feeding everyone well or keeping the population healthy.  It’s failing on both counts.

There is a section of the film that reveals how illegal immigrants are the faceless workers that help to bring food to our tables.  Can you give us a profile of the average worker?
Schlosser:
The typical farm worker is a young, Latino male who does not speak English and earns about $10,000 a year.  The typical meatpacking worker has a similar background but earns about twice that amount.  A very large proportion of the nation’s farm workers and meatpackers are illegal immigrants.

Why are there so many Spanish-speaking workers?
Kenner:
The same thing that created obesity in this country, which is large productions of! cheap corn, has put farmers out of work in foreign countries,! whether it’s Mexico, Latin America or around the world.  And those farmers can no longer grow food and compete with the U.S.’ subsidized food.  So a lot of these farmers needed jobs and ended up coming into this country to work in our food production.

And they have been here for a number of years.  But what’s happened is that we’ve decided that it’s no longer in the best interests of this country to have them here.  But yet, these companies still need these people and they’re desperate, so they work out deals where they can have a few people arrested at a certain time so it doesn’t affect production. But it affects people’s lives.  And these people are being deported, put in jail and sent away, but yet, the companies can go on and it really doesn’t affect their assembly line.  And what happens is that they are replaced by other, desperate immigrant groups.

Could the American food industry exist without illegal immigrants?
Schloss! er:
The food industry would not only survive, but it would have a much more stable workforce.  We would have much less rural poverty.  And the annual food bill of the typical American family would barely increase.  Doubling the hourly wage of every farm worker in this country might add $50 at most to a family’s annual food bill.

What are scientists doing to our food and is it about helping food companies’ bottom line or about feeding a growing population?
Schlosser:
Some scientists are trying to produce foods that are healthier, easier to grow, and better for the environment.  But most of the food scientists are trying to create things that will taste good and can be made cheaply without any regard to their social or environmental consequences.

I am not opposed to food science.  What matters is how that science is used … and for whose benefit.

Can a person eat a healthy diet from things they buy in th! e supermarket if they are not buying organic? If so, how?
Pollan:
Yes, the supermarkets still carry real food.  The key is to shop the perimeter of the store and stay out of the middle where most of the processed food lurks.

How are low-income families impacted at the supermarket?
Kenner:
Things are really stacked against low-income families in this country.  There is a definite desire of the food companies to sell more product to these people because they have less time, they’re working really hard and they have fewer hours in their day to cook.  And the fast food is very reasonably priced.  Coke is selling for less than water.  So when these things are happening, it’s easier for low-income families sometimes to just go in and have a quick meal if they don’t get home until 10 o’clock at night.  At the moment, our food is unfairly priced towards bad food.

And, in the same way that tobacco companies went after low-income people because they were heavy users, food companies are go! ing after low-income people because they can market to them, they can make it look very appealing.

What can low-income families do to eat healthier?
Schlosser:
As much as possible, they can avoid cheap, processed foods and fast foods.  It’s possible to eat well and inexpensively.  But it takes more time and effort to do so, and that’s not easy when you’re working two jobs and trying to just to keep your head above water.  The sad thing is that these cheap foods are ultimately much more expensive when you factor in the costs of all the health problems that come later.

Pollan: It’s possible to eat healthy food on a budget but it takes a greater investment of time.  If you are willing to cook and plan ahead, you can eat local, sustainable food on a budget.

If someone wanted to get involved and help change the system, what would you suggest they do?
Pearlstein:
I hope people will w! ant to be more engaged in the process of eating and shopping f! or food.   We have learned that there are a lot of different fronts to fight on this one, and people can see what most resonates with them.  Maybe it’s really just “voting with their forks” â€" eating less meat, buying different food, buying from companies they feel good about, going to farmers markets.

People can try to find a CSA â€" community supported agriculture â€" where you buy a share in a farm and get local food all year.  That really helps support farmers and you get fresh, seasonal food.  On the local political level, people can work on food access issues, like getting more markets into low income communities, getting better lunch programs in schools, trying to get sodas out of schools.  And on a national level, we’ve learned that reforming the Farm Bill would have a huge influence on our food system. It requires some education, but it is something we should care about.

What do you hope people take away from this film?
Schlosser: I hope it opens their eyes.

Kenner: That things can change in this country. It changed against the big tobacco companies.  We have to influence the government and readjust these scales back into the interests of the consumer.  We did it before, and we can do it again.

Pollan: A deeper knowledge of where their food comes from and a sense of outrage over how their food is being produced and a sense of hope and possibility of the alternatives springing up around the country.  Food, Inc. is the most important and powerful film about our food system in a generation.

For most Americans, the ideal meal is fast, cheap, and tasty. Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. Director Robert Kenner explores the subject from all angles, talking to authors, advocates, farmers, and CEOs, like co-producer Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Mich! ael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma), Gary Hirschberg (S! tonyfiel d Farms), and Barbara Kowalcyk, who's been lobbying for more rigorous standards since E. coli claimed the life of her two-year-old son. The filmmaker takes his camera into slaughterhouses and factory farms where chickens grow too fast to walk properly, cows eat feed pumped with toxic chemicals, and illegal immigrants risk life and limb to bring these products to market at an affordable cost. If eco-docs tends to preach to the converted, Kenner presents his findings in such an engaging fashion that Food, Inc. may well reach the very viewers who could benefit from it the most: harried workers who don't have the time or income to read every book and eat non-genetically modified produce every day. Though he covers some of the same ground as Super-Size Me and King Corn, Food Inc. presents a broader picture of the problem, and if Kenner takes an understandably tough stance on particular politicians and corporations, he's just as quick to praise those wh! o are trying to be responsible--even Wal-Mart, which now carries organic products. That development may have more to do with economics than empathy, but the consumer still benefits, and every little bit counts. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

The Exterminating Angels

  • EXTERMINATING ANGELS (DVD MOVIE)
From the director who scandalized France with SECRET THINGS, comes THE EXTERMINATING ANGELS, a film that will shock you, make you think and turn you on. Francois is a filmmaker holding auditions for his upcoming film about female pleasure. He expects the process to be unconventional but cannot predict the danger that so much arousal can cause. As his female cast embarks on a journey of intense physical pleasure-seeking they become emotionally involved with the director and each other. This film brings new meaning to the warning to never mix business with pleasure.

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