Each of these two snazzy 20-minute installments is a self-contained and satisfying adventure tale about a futuristic hipster bounty hunter, from the most popular Japanese animated TV series of 1998. This is elegant action-comedy anime, with smoothly integrated CGI space-flight elements, gorgeous graphics, blues harmonica and sax riffs on the soundtrack, and a no-sweat post-Tarantino attitude. Despite occasional eruptions of gun-fu Asian-action violence, and some intimations of heavy-duty drug use (one especially noxious narcotic is administered as an aerosol spray, straight onto the user's eyeballs), the tone is surprisingly convivial. None of the generic tough elements are grim or mean-spirited. Lanky antihero Spike Spiegel is a planet-hopping bounty hunter with a cyborg sidekick and a genetically enhanced Welsh Corgi assistant, and as many wisecracks as punches get thrown. The emphasis is on clever twists of plot in an episodic short-story format. —David Chute

The popular anime series Cowboy Bebop is one of the few Blade Runner spin-offs that pays off big dividends. The Cowboy Beboppers are free-spirited bounty hunters who roam the solar system looking for criminals. Told in 25-minute episodes, this very different anime series has the stuff many shows lack: a strong vision, intriguing plots, and tantalizing back-stories. In this second session (episodes 6-10), we begin to learn some of the history of our hero, Spike, his right-hand man, Jet, and even the gloomy story behind the fate of the charred Earth. Episodes include a run-in with a deadly child prodigy, a trucker tale, a curious trip to the terraformed Venus, where a loner seeks to learn from Spike. There's also a tale of Jet's old flame, and the introduction of the crew's latest member—a computer hacker named Ed. Gorgeously drawn and fueled by cool music—often counterpointing the action—Cowboy Bebop is too good (and accessible) for just anime fans. (Ages 12 and older) —Doug Thomas

The centerpiece of the third disc of this popular series is the two-part adventure "Jupiter Jazz," which offers hints about the shrouded past of hero Spike Spiegel. Spike returns to his old haunts on Callisto in search of a mysterious woman, and comes into conflict with his former underworld associates: the icy Vicious, apprentice mobster Lin, and transgendered barroom musician Gren. Director Shinichiro Watanabe's approach to storytelling is often fragmented and nonlinear, but the results form a strikingly moody collage of falling snow, gritty, blue-tinted cityscapes, and melancholy saxophone riffs. Few big-budget Hollywood features have presented a sense of urban alienation as effectively.

The mini-mystery, "Toys in the Attic," comes to an unsatisfying conclusion that the elaborate computer-generated tracking shots can't disguise—and suggests that adding the spunky Ed to the cast was not a great idea. In "Bohemian Rhapsody," the crew of the Bebop find themselves pitted against an aged programming genius who designed a high-tech transportation system—and hid a flaw in the software. But he also concealed clues in chess pieces, setting up a formal and formidable battle of wits.

Note: Viewers of Chinese ancestry and other viewers may find the depiction of the gang lords in "Jupiter Jazz" offensive. Unrated: Suitable for ages 13 and older for nudity, violence, and adult situations. —Charles Solomon

Director Shinichiro Watanabe and writer Keiko Nobumoto continue to explore the pasts of the main characters in this gritty, outer-space Western. In "My Funny Valentine," Faye confronts a two-bit confidence man and discovers that her background is as much of a mystery to her as it is to everyone else. "Black Dog Serenade" reunites Jet Black with his former partner at the ISSP (Inter Solar System Police) against Udai Taxim, the criminal whose attack cost Jet his left arm. This dark, violent tale of betrayal, discovery, and revenge offers both surprises and insights. In the silly "Mushroom Samba," the Bebop is out of fuel, and everyone's broke and hungry. Ed goes off to search for something to eat, and gets involved in the pursuit of a seedy mushroom dealer. "Speak Like a Child" showcases the sardonic humor that has won Cowboy Bebop fans on both sides of the Pacific. A mysterious package arrives C.O.D. for Faye that contains an ancient artifact—a Beta videocassette! Spike and Jet ransack a ruined museum on Earth to find a player; when they finally view the tape, they see a young girl cheering her future self, a girl who looks curiously like Faye...

Unrated: Suitable for ages 13 and older for nudity, violence, and adult situations. —Charles Solomon

The second episode on this disc, "Pierrot Le Fou", epitomizes the mixture of sardonic humor and noir adventure that has made Cowboy Bebopso popular in Japan and the U.S. Spike fights a deadly duel with the title character, the product of a botched ISSP (Inter Solar System Police) attempt to create a perfect assassin. Their showdown takes place in a saccharine but sinister amusement park, a device used in many live action and animated films, but rarely so effectively.

Director Shinichiro Watanabe uses an impressive array of computer effects to depict a battle in hyperspace in "Boogie-Woogie Feng-Shui," as Jet helps the daughter of an old friend solve a mystery involving gangsters and mysticism. When pirates hit the Bebop with a computer virus in "Wild Horses," Spike demonstrates his skill as a pilot, flying the Swordfish by the seat of his pants. In "Cowboy Funk," Spike almost captures the Teddy Bomber, a fanatic who hides explosives in stuffed animals, but he's interrupted by Andy, a wealthy heir who plays at bounty hunter in cowboy regalia. The near-farcical rivalry that develops between Andy and Spike feels closer in tone to the misadventures of Vash the Stampede in "Trigun" than the gritty hero of "Pierrot Le Fou."

Unrated: suitable for ages 13 and up for violence, profanity, and smoking. —Charles Solomon

The past comes back to haunt each of the characters in the sixth installment of the popular noir sci-fi adventure. In "Brain Scratch," Faye is drawn into an eerie cult that promises electronic immortality and an end to worldly cares. Director Shinichiro Watanabe juxtaposes flashy television graphics with gritty, gray reality, as Ed hacks a path to the truth. Next, Faye and Ed confront different yet linked pasts in "Hard Luck Woman." Ed (who turns out to be a girl) finds her long-lost father; Faye learns she can't go back to the world she knew before a devastating accident. The two-part epsiode "Real Folk Blues" returns to the saga of Julia, the woman Spike once loved, who appeared in "Jupiter Jazz" (episodes 12 and 13). The icy Vicious's attempt to take over the Red Dragon mob draws Spike and Julia into a deadly web of revenge.

"Real Folk Blues" marks the end of Cowboy Bebop, arguably the most stylish and sophisticated anime series in recent years. This last adventure will leave viewers with the same sense of loss they experienced when the first Star Wars trilogy ended. Although no further television episodes are planned, a feature is in the works. Fans can look forward to seeing their favorite Space Cowboy in the not-too-distant future.

Not rated: suitable for ages 13 and up for nudity, violence, adult situations, and unflattering ethnic characterizations. —Charles Solomon

Mars. Days before Halloween 2071. Villains blow up a tanker truck on Highway One releasing a deadly virus that kills hundreds. Fearing a bigger even more devastating biochemical attack an astronomical reward is offered for the arrest and capture of the person behind the destruction. On the space ship "Bebop" Spike Spiegel and his crew of bounty hunters (Jet Black Faye Valentine Ed and Ein) are bored and short of cash. But with the news of the reward everything changes. Based on the wildly popular TV series "Cowboy Bebop" the big screen smash COWBOY BEBOP: THE MOVIE pits Spike and Co. against their deadliest adversary ever. Featuring stunning state-of-the-art animation this action-packed sci-fi adventure builds to a breath-taking nail-biting climax guaranteed to keep you hanging on the edge of your seat.DVD FeaturesThe Making of Cowboy Bebop: 6 Behind-the-Scenes featurettesMusic video for "Ask DNA" and "Gotta Knock a Little Harder"Conceptual Art GalleriesStoryboard ComparisonsIn-Depth Character ProfilesWidescreen PresentationDigitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic VideoAudio: Original Japanese Theatrical Version and English 5.1 (Dolby Digital) FrenchSubtitles: English FrenchTheatrical TrailersAnimated MenusSystem Requirements:Running Time 114 MinsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Rating: R UPC: 043396090552 Manufacturer No: 09055

A $750000 one-night score awaits richard & rodrigo is they can flim-flam an antique currency collector - a ruse soon packed with more twists than a box a pretzels. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/27/2005 Starring: John C Reilly Maggie Gyllenhaal Run time: 87 minutes Rating: R Director: Gregory Jacobs

Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are lead to an impetuous physically-skilled teenage noblemans daughter who is at a crossroads in her life. Special features: ang lee and james schamus commentary: photo montage: link to website: theatrical trailers and much more. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 12/21/2004 Starring: Chow Yun Fat Zhang Ziyi Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Ang Lee

Curse of the Golden Flower, a fictionalized historical glimpse into the brutally complicated politics of Emperor Ping's (Chow Yun Fat) reign during the Tang Dynasty, shows the viewer just how far a megalomaniac must go to gain and retain power in medieval China. Lavish sets, massive ceremonial displays, and perversely fascinating battle scenes impress similarly to the special effects Americans have come to love and expect from Chinese action films like Zhang Yimou's previous House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. An intricate plot involving the Emperor's wife, Empress Phoenix (Gong Li) and their three sons, Crown Prince Xiang, Prince Jie, and Prince Cheng, most closely follows the Empress's secret plan to force abdication upon her corrupt husband as revenge for his slowly poisoning her with Black Fungus tea. Opening on the eve of the Chysanthemum Festival, 928 A.D., the Empress obsessively embroiders gold chysanthemums to adorn her army's uniforms while hatching plans with Jai to overthrow the Crown Prince for control of the throne. Meanwhile, a side plot develops as the Emperor's ex-wife and mother to Crown Prince Yu reemerges as Yu's lover. By the time the Festival occurs, family members are pitted against each other in a King Lear-ian web of lies that can only result in demise. The most sophisticated narrative aspect of Curse of the Golden Flower is that as the royal family crumbles, the Emperor's death grip on China remains unwavering. Gorgeous scenes set in the palace and costume design displaying China's upper class decadence cannot fail to entertain. The paradox between good and evil, here, is highlighted by how the Emperor successfully rules despite, and because of, his utter cruelty. —Trinie Dalton

When john murdoch awakens in a strange hotel room he finds that he is wanted for a series of brutal murders. The problem is he cant remember a thing. Pursued by the police and haunted by the strangers mysterious beings who possess the ability to stop time and alter reality he seeks to unravel his identity. Studio: New Line Home Video Release Date: 02/03/2004 Starring: Rufus Sewell Jennifer Connelly Run time: 100 minutes Rating: R Director: Alex Proyas

Pay cable's "other"show about life and death, Dead Like Me takes a darkly comic look at mortality through the eyes of someone stuck between this life and the afterlife. "Bail bondsmen for the disembodied" is how Rube (Mandy Patinkin), the often exasperated Reaper foreman, explains it to disaffected 18-year-old George (Ellen Muth) after she's vaporized by a falling toilet seat from the Mir space station and drafted into the ranks of the Reapers. It's now her job to take the souls of the doomed, preferably before their mortal coil is damaged beyond recognition by the devilish machinations of the gremlin-like gravelings.

You wouldn't mistake George's fellow Reapers for the do-gooders of Touched by an Angel, but they are anything but grim. Charming British shyster Mason (Callum Blue) always has some scam brewing, high-living, fun-loving former flapper Betty (Rebecca Gayheart) treats death as a cabaret ("Reaping Havoc"), and one-time starlet and wannabe actress Daisy (Laura Harris) still nurses her dreams of stardom. Even hard-bitten meter maid Roxy (Jasmine Guy) manages to find a way to let loose.

Dead Like Me puts a light touch on black comedy, but it has a sneaky way of using humor to explore loss, loneliness, and regret, as well as kindness, and courage, and responsibility. George gets a hard lesson when she tries to wriggle out of her assignments like some overgrown kid, only to see the damage of her (in)action in "Reapercussions." And as George's angry, tightly-wound mother (Cynthia Stevenson) and withdrawn little sister Reggie cope with death, she breaks the rules to watch over them: their own pouty, glum guardian angel. There's nothing like your own death to put your life into perspective.

The four-disc set features all 14 episodes of the debut season of Showtime's witty black comedy. The feature-length pilot includes optional commentary by cast members Ellen Muth, Mandy Patinkin, Jasmine Guy, Cynthia Stevenson, and Callum Blue. Other supplements include the nominal documentary featurettes Dead Like Me: Behind-the-scenes and The Music of Dead Like Me (with theme song composer Stewart Copeland), 32 deleted scenes, and a still gallery. —Sean Axmaker

Superbly adapted and directed by Tim Robbins from the nonfiction book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean, this spiritually enlightened drama is too intelligent to traffic in polemics or self-righteous pontifications against the death penalty. But in examining the issue of capital punishment from a humanitarian perspective, the film urges thoughtful reflection on the justifications for legally ending a human life. Although it features a fine supporting cast, the film maintains its sharp focus through flawless lead performances by Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon as the Catholic nun Prejean, and Sean Penn as the death-row killer she struggles to save. Robbins avoids a biased message, letting the movie examine both sides of the issue instead (R. Lee Ermey gives a fine performance as the grief-stricken father of one of Penn's victims). As the drama unfolds and Penn's execution deadline grows near, Dead Man Walking is graced by compelling depths of theme and character, achieving an emotional impact that demands further reflection and removes the stigma of piousness from socially conscious filmmaking. —Jeff Shannon