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Oscar films out on DVD
By Meriah Doty
(CNN) -- Oscar night is closing in. Gowns have been selected, tuxes picked out and studio campaigns are in overdrive. But it's not panic time yet. If you've been preoccupied with the kids, too busy waiting in the unemployment line or living under a rock, it's still not too late to see nominated films -- and in the convenience of your own home. Here's a list of Oscar contenders you can find on DVD and video: "Road to Perdition" is the most nominated film that's already out on DVD, with six nominations including Paul Newman's nod for best supporting actor. It was directed by Sam Mendes, who also directed "American Beauty," and stars Tom Hanks, uncharacteristically left off this year's list of nominees. The subject matter is dark in this 1920s gangster flick with father-son themes. "Perdition" gets an R rating for violence and language. This is one to watch after the kids have fallen asleep. Crime boss John Rooney (Newman) declares in the film, "There are only murderers in this room! Michael! Open your eyes! This is the life we chose, the life we lead. And there is only one guarantee: none of us will see heaven." The sleeper hit of 2002, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is now a top seller on DVD. Nominated for best original screenplay, the comedy stars its script writer, Nia Vardalos. John Corbett co-stars in a film about the culture clash between an engaged couple. Actor Michael Constantine, who plays the father of the bride in "Big Fat," proclaims in one scene, "There are two kinds of people -- Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek." Best Actress nominee Diane Lane plays the adulterous wife of Richard Gere in the sexy thriller "Unfaithful." In one scene, the boyfriend her character is obsessed with, played by Olivier Martinez, says, "There is no such thing as a mistake. There are things you do, and things you don't do." Add this flick to your adults-only movie night since it is rated R.
Also up for best original screenplay is foreign film "Y Tu Mama Tambien." It's about two teenage boys in Mexico who embark on a road trip with an older woman. Keep your audience limited to the adult set because the film contains teen sex and drugs. Based on a Nick Hornby book, "About a Boy" is up for best adapted screenplay. This PG-13 heartwarming comedy starring Hugh Grant most likely can be viewed by the whole family. Young actor Nicolas Hoult plays the adorable Marcus -- a boy who relentlessly pursues a friendship with wealthy bum Will (Grant). "I am an island. I am bloody Ibiza!" eternal bachelor Will says in an early scene. Though Tobey Maguire wasn't nominated for best actor, "Spider-Man" got a nomination this year in the sound category. It almost goes without saying this action-packed blockbuster is family-friendly. Mary Jane, played by Kirsten Dunst, tells Spider-Man, "You have a knack for saving my life! I think I have a superhero stalker!" Less than a week before Oscar night, "8 Mile" will hit DVD and video stores on Tuesday, March 18. "Lose Yourself," by Eminem, is nominated for best song. The DVD is already getting hype about an extra rap battle scene containing explicit language -- not that the original film doesn't contain plenty to begin with. Eminem's character, B-Rabbit, freestyle raps at his opponent in one of the film's final scenes, "In fact dog, here's a pencil, go home, write some s--t, make it suspenseful; and don't come back 'til somethin' dope hits you. F--k it, you can take the mic home wit' you."
"The Time Machine," about a 19th century inventor who travels 800,000 years into the future, was nominated in this year's makeup category. Australian actor Guy Pearce plays Alexander Hartdegen in the time-bending film. Intense scenes gave it a PG-13 rating. "I think Mister Einstein has some very good ideas," Hartdegen asserts. Another film about the future that's been nominated this year is "Minority Report," which made the sound editing category. This sci-fi thriller will take you into the profession of pre-cognitive crime prevention -- cops can determine crimes before they happen. Tom Cruise is a pre-cog cop who must stop a future crime -- his own. "I've never heard of him! But I'm supposed to kill him in less than thirty-six hours," he says in one scene. Nominated for best animated feature, "Ice Age" is about a sabertooth tiger, a sloth and a wooly mammoth who try to return a lost human infant to his tribe. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Jack Black and Cedric the Entertainer voice characters in the digitally-animated cartoon. Sid (Leguizamo) says in one scene, "I don't know about you guys but we are the weirdest herd I've ever seen." Written, directed and voiced by Chris Sanders, "Lilo & Stitch" also made Oscar's animated feature category this year. The family-friendly film is about an extraterrestrial fugitive who is adopted by a Hawaiian girl. Lilo says in one comic scene, "I'm sorry I bit you ... and pulled your hair ... and punched you in the face." Another nominated cartoon feature is "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," voiced by Matt Damon and James Cromwell. "Spirit" focuses on the journey of a wild stallion traveling through the frontiers of the Old West. "Sometimes a horse has got to do what a horse has got to do," say Spirit (Damon) in one scene.
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