Down to Earth

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• Anamorphic; Closed-captioned; Color; DVD; Widescreen; NTSC

WHEN A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IS NEEDED JUST A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION, WASHINGTON PICKS MAYS GRAHAM, A POWERLESS POLITICIAN THEY PLAN TO USE AS THEIR PUPPET, CERTAIN HE WILL LOSE. BUT MAYS WON'T GO OUT LIKE THAT! IF HE'S GOING TO RUN, HE'S GOING TO HAVE FUN!Chris Rock writes, directs, and stars in the sassy political comedy Head of State, about Mays Gilliam, a black man who's chosen by the leaders of an unspecificed party to run for president after their previous candidates die in a plan crash. Though he initially follows his handler's instructions, Gilliam soon starts handling speeches in his own brazen, outspoken way, which starts to turn the tide--which upsets the party leaders who chose him, since they expected him to lose. While Head of State doesn't quite have the r! azor wit that Rock wields in his stand-up routine, it has a sharper edge than just about any other political satire in recent memory. Rock bursts with charisma, and his supporting cast (including Lynn Whitfield, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, and especially Bernie Mac as Gilliam's brother and running mate) provide solid comic support. --Bret FetzerWHEN A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IS NEEDED JUST A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION, WASHINGTON PICKS MAYS GRAHAM, A POWERLESS POLITICIAN THEY PLAN TO USE AS THEIR PUPPET, CERTAIN HE WILL LOSE. BUT MAYS WON'T GO OUT LIKE THAT! IF HE'S GOING TO RUN, HE'S GOING TO HAVE FUN!Chris Rock writes, directs, and stars in the sassy political comedy Head of State, about Mays Gilliam, a black man who's chosen by the leaders of an unspecificed party to run for president after their previous candidates die in a plan crash. Though he initially follows his handler's instructions, Gilliam soon starts handling speeches in his own brazen, outspoke! n way, which starts to turn the tide--which upsets the party l! eaders w ho chose him, since they expected him to lose. While Head of State doesn't quite have the razor wit that Rock wields in his stand-up routine, it has a sharper edge than just about any other political satire in recent memory. Rock bursts with charisma, and his supporting cast (including Lynn Whitfield, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, and especially Bernie Mac as Gilliam's brother and running mate) provide solid comic support. --Bret FetzerNo Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 24-APR-2007
Media Type: DVDChris Rock writes, directs, and stars in the sassy political comedy Head of State, about Mays Gilliam, a black man who's chosen by the leaders of an unspecificed party to run for president after their previous candidates die in a plan crash. Though he initially follows his handler's instructions, Gilliam soon starts handling speeches in his own brazen, outspoken way, which starts t! o turn the tide--which upsets the party leaders who chose him, since they expected him to lose. While Head of State doesn't quite have the razor wit that Rock wields in his stand-up routine, it has a sharper edge than just about any other political satire in recent memory. Rock bursts with charisma, and his supporting cast (including Lynn Whitfield, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, and especially Bernie Mac as Gilliam's brother and running mate) provide solid comic support. --Bret FetzerChris Rock writes, directs, and stars in the sassy political comedy Head of State, about Mays Gilliam, a black man who's chosen by the leaders of an unspecificed party to run for president after their previous candidates die in a plan crash. Though he initially follows his handler's instructions, Gilliam soon starts handling speeches in his own brazen, outspoken way, which starts to turn the tide--which upsets the party leaders who chose him, since they expected him to lose. W! hile Head of State doesn't quite have the razor wit tha! t Rock w ields in his stand-up routine, it has a sharper edge than just about any other political satire in recent memory. Rock bursts with charisma, and his supporting cast (including Lynn Whitfield, Dylan Baker, Robin Givens, and especially Bernie Mac as Gilliam's brother and running mate) provide solid comic support. --Bret Fetzer

The history of basketball spans more than a century, from its humble origin as a simple diversion during the harsh winters in America to today's perennial, rim-rattling show of international renown. Throughout the last 60 years, Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of the sport's evolution, supplying the world with a steady stream of stars, from Wilt Chamberlain to Kobe Bryant, who have proven to be some of the best to ever play the game.

In Heads of State: Pennsylvania's Greatest High School Basketball Players of the Modern Era, sportswriter Mark Hostutler sizes up the commonwealth to rank its 500 most-accomplished scholastic p! layers from 1950-2010. With input from Sonny Vaccaro, Howard Garfinkel, and other hoops cognoscenti, the author canvassed the Keystone State, conducting hundreds of hours of research and interviews to assemble a list that is sure to stir passionate debate within an already buzzing community of roundball fans.

Hostutler's unique compilation highlights the exploits of Billy Owens, Tom McMillen, Gene Banks, Tyreke Evans, Donyell Marshall, Jameer Nelson, Geoff Petrie, and several others, as they reminisce about their achievements as teenagers on the hardwood. Wonderfully crafted and jam-packed with information, the book is perfect for hard-core fans, stat junkies, or anyone in search of a good read.

When an African American stand up comedian prematurely dies, the angels in heaven supply him with the body of an eldery white tycoon, so that he can return to earth.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 2-JAN-2007
Med! ia Type: DVDA tepid reworking of Warren Beatty's Heaven! Can Wai t (itself a remake of 1941's Here Comes Mr. Jordan), Down to Earth tries to mold comedian Chris Rock into an amiable romantic lead, but it softens the scathingly observant humor that made Rock a standup successor to Richard Pryor. Rock's aggressive style is bracingly expressed in a few good scenes, but through most of this movie--from the directors of American Pie--he struggles with dialogue that would barely pass muster in a low-rated sitcom. Edgy potential loses out to crowd-pleasing with the familiar body-switch formula: by way of premature death and bad timing on the part of heaven's Vegas-styled gatekeepers (played by Eugene Levy and Chazz Palminteri), Rock--as struggling comedian Lance Barton--is reincarnated as a 55-year-old white billionaire with a nasty reputation.

Adjusting (too easily) to his racial transition, Lance charms a hospital administrator (Regina King) who's amazed to see the selfish white billionaire turning into romantic p! hilanthropist. This allows plenty of black/white-contrast jokes (did you ever see a fat, middle-aged white guy who's into hip-hop?), and Rock, who cowrote the screenplay, still manages to work some pointed politics into the movie's good-natured tone. It's guaranteed that some will find Down to Earth quite entertaining, but others will wonder how potent this comedy could have been if Rock had been more willing to confront the harsher truths that lurk beneath the humor. --Jeff Shannon