<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/mummyreturns.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Set nine years after <i>The Mummy</i>, Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) are married with an eight-year-old son, Alexander (Freddie Boath). Meanwhile, a mysterious woman, Mella (Patricia Velasquez), resurrects high priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), and the pair intend to defeat the legendary Scorpion King (The Rock) to gain control of his army and rule the world.

As a product of the Muppets generation I had high hopes for their return to the silver screen and eventually Blu-ray, but color me very disappointed. While the technical aspects of the Blu-ray are pure reference-quality with amazing detail, vibrant colors, and enveloping surround sound, the script leaves a lot to be desired with uninspiring human characters, a paint by numbers script, and middling musical numbers—and no, I don't think "Man or Muppet" should have won the Oscar. My kids have generally liked the Muppet productions but were just as disappointed in this one as I was, but at least it looked and sounded great and is a worthy candidate for showing off your gear.

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/natural.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is a country hick who has one dream in life; to play professional baseball. But that's not enough, when he walks down the street he wants people to say, "There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in the game." At 19, his boyhood dream catches a glimpse of reality when he's summoned to Chicago for a tryout with the Cubs. On the journey he meets Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey), who turns out to be a psychotic killer who shoots a silver bullet into Hobbs' abdomen. Left for dead in a Chicago hotel room, Hobbs miraculously survives and disappears for 16 years until he finally realizes his dream of playing baseball by signing a contract with the hapless New York Knights.

<IMG SRC="/images/archivesart/nightmare.jpg" WIDTH=200 BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT>Bored with his perennial role as Halloween Town's frightening Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington discovers the cheerful village of Christmas Town. Determined to shake things up in Halloween Town, he schemes to kidnap Santa Clause and takes over the job of delivering gifts to the children himself. When his plan goes awry, Jack attempts to restore Santa to his rightful place, but he must first rescue him from the evil clutches of Oogie Boogie.