I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond

• ISBN13: 9781592406128
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

The book behind the Academy award-winning film starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw.

Opening in theaters November 20, 2009, The Blind Side is a feature movie based on Michael’s Lewis’s New York Times bestseller, produced by Alcon Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Blind Side tells the inspirational story of Michael Oher, a homeless black teen taken under the wing of the Touhys, a wealthy white Memphis family. Oher’s size and speed on the football field bring him accolades. But learning the game’s strategy and making it as a student take the help of his new family, coaches, and tutor.

Sandra Bullock stars! as Leigh Anne Touhy, the sharp-witted and compassionate matriarch. Tim McGraw stars as her sports-enthusiast husband. Oscar winner Kathy Bates plays Miss Sue, Oher’s indefatigable tutor. Quinton Aaron has his first major role as Oher. John Lee Hancock, who directed The Rookie and The Alamo, writes and directs the film.

Michael Oher was just drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. This edition includes a new afterword bringing Oher’s life up to date through college and the NFL.The football star made famous in the hit film The Blind Side reflects on how far he has come from the circumstances of his youth.

Michael Oher is the young man at the center of the true story depicted in The Blind Side movie (and book) that swept up awards and accolades. Though the odds were heavily stacked against him, Michael had a burning desire deep within his soul to break out of the Memphis inner-cit! y ghetto and into a world of opportunity. While many people ar! e now fa miliar with Oher's amazing journey, this is the first time he shares his account of his story in his own words, revealing his thoughts and feelings with details that only he knows, and offering his point of view on how anyone can achieve a better life.

Looking back on how he went from being a homeless child in Memphis to playing in the NFL, Michael talks about the goals he had for himself in order to break out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness that trapped his family for so long. He recounts poignant stories growing up in the projects and running from child services and foster care over and over again in search of some familiarity. Eventually he grasped onto football as his ticket out of the madness and worked hard to make his dream into a reality.

But Oher also knew he would not be successful alone. With his adoptive family, the Touhys, and other influential people in mind, he describes the absolute necessity of seeking out positi! ve role models and good friends who share the same values to achieve one's dreams.

Sharing untold stories of heartache, determination, courage, and love, I Beat the Odds is an incredibly rousing tale of one young man's quest to achieve the American dream.

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Before Sunrise

• BEFORE SUNRISE (DVD MOVIE)

BEFORE SUNSET - DVD MovieIn 1994, director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Waking Life) made Before Sunrise, a gorgeous poem of a movie about two strangers (played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) wandering around Vienna, talking, and falling in love. Ten years later, Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy have returned with Before Sunset, which reunites the same characters after Hawke has written a book about that night. Delpy appears at the final book reading of his European tour; they have less than two hours before Hawke has to catch a flight to New York...and in that time, they walk around Paris, talk, and fall in love all over again. It sounds simple, perhaps dull, but it's written with such skill and care and acted with such richness that it's a miracle of filmmaking. On its own, Before Sunset is moving and wonderful; seen right ! after Before Sunrise, it will break your heart. --Bret FetzerA heartbroken young Texas journalist meets a beautiful French student on a train bound for Paris, and invites her to share his last night in Vienna.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 6-NOV-2001
Media Type: DVDThis romantic, witty, and ultimately poignant glimpse at two strangers (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) who share thoughts, affections, and past experiences during one 14-hour tryst in Vienna somehow remains writer/director Richard Linklater's (Dazed and Confused, Slacker) most overlooked gem. Delpy, a stunning, low-key Parisian, meets the stammering American Hawke, as the two share a Eurorail seat--she's starting school in Paris, he's finishing a vacation. Their mutual attraction leads to an awkward meeting (beautifully played by each performer), and Hawke suggests that Delpy spend his remaining 14 hours in Vienna with him.

! Typically, this skeleton is as much plot as Linklater provide! s; as us ual, he's more interested in concentrating his talents on observing the casual, playful conversations between his leads. His tight time frame allows the characters to say anything to one another, and topics ranging from politics to past romances to fears of the future flow with subtle finesse. The short time frame is also cruel, however, because beneath this love affair lies the painful reality that the two most likely will never see each other again and will be left only with memories--an idea Linklater drives home with an effective snapshot conclusion.

Hardly the trite Gen-X bitch session that many '90s films using this approach become, the film feels more like a Bresson or Rohmer piece, containing sharp perceptions--and flawed humans rather than stereotypes. The protagonists' frank revelations and heated exchanges flow in a stream-of-consciousness style, and its no accident that Linklater set the film in Vienna, where Freud invented and practiced psychotherapy. --! Dave McCoyStudio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/09/2010This romantic, witty, and ultimately poignant glimpse at two strangers (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) who share thoughts, affections, and past experiences during one 14-hour tryst in Vienna somehow remains writer/director Richard Linklater's (Dazed and Confused, Slacker) most overlooked gem. Delpy, a stunning, low-key Parisian, meets the stammering American Hawke, as the two share a Eurorail seat--she's starting school in Paris, he's finishing a vacation. Their mutual attraction leads to an awkward meeting (beautifully played by each performer), and Hawke suggests that Delpy spend his remaining 14 hours in Vienna with him.

Typically, this skeleton is as much plot as Linklater provides; as usual, he's more interested in concentrating his talents on observing the casual, playful conversations between his leads. His tight time frame allows the characters to say anything to one another, and topic! s ranging from politics to past romances to fears of the futur! e flow w ith subtle finesse. The short time frame is also cruel, however, because beneath this love affair lies the painful reality that the two most likely will never see each other again and will be left only with memories--an idea Linklater drives home with an effective snapshot conclusion.

Hardly the trite Gen-X bitch session that many '90s films using this approach become, the film feels more like a Bresson or Rohmer piece, containing sharp perceptions--and flawed humans rather than stereotypes. The protagonists' frank revelations and heated exchanges flow in a stream-of-consciousness style, and its no accident that Linklater set the film in Vienna, where Freud invented and practiced psychotherapy. --Dave McCoy

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New Columbia Tristar Studios Exorcism Of Emily Rose Horror Miscellaneous Motion Picture Video

• If you have not opened the item, you can return the product to us for refund, credit or replacement within 15 days.
• Street Date: 25 September 2007. Studio: COLUMBIA/TRISTAR STUDIOS.
• Running Time: 121. Region: 1: USA, Canada.
• Display: 2.40:1, Color. SubTitles: English.
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, English. Disc Info: Discs:1 ~ Format:Ntsc ~ Region:1.

A THRILLING HORROR FILM ABOUT A LAWYER WHO TAKES ON A NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE CASE INVOLVING A PRIEST WHOPERFORMED AN EXORCISM ON A YOUNG GIRL.
Genre: Horror
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 22-JUL-2008
Media Type: Blu-RayIn this blend of psychological thriller and courtroom drama, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) is a 19-year-old college student who begins displaying bizarre and troubling behavior; as her actions become increasingly destructive and shocking, Emily begins speaking in strange! tongues and destroying religious symbols that surround her. Emily's parents believe that their daughter has become possessed of the devil, and the Catholic Church agrees to authorize an exorcism of the young woman. As Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) attempts to drive the demons from Emily's body, the girl dies in the midst of the taxing ceremonies, and Father Moore finds himself charged with negligent homicide. Attorney Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is hired to represent Father Moore against prosecutor Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott), who intends to prove there were concrete medical explanations for Emily's behaviors, including epilepsy and schizophrenia, all leading to a heated courtroom debate between the notions of faith and science. The Exorcism of Emily Rose was inspired by the real-life story of Anneliese Michel, a young woman from Germany who died in 1976 after priests in Wurzburg spent eight months attempting to exorcise demons from her body. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi. Cast: Vie! w Cast For Exorcism Of Emily Rose. Crew: Art Director:Sandi Ta! naka, Ca sting:Nancy Nayor Battino, Cinematographer:Tom Stern, Co-producer:Beau Flynn, Co-producer:Paul Harris Boardman, Co-producer:Tripp Vinson, Composer (Music Score):Christopher Young, Director:Scott Derrickson, Executive Producer:Andre Lamal, Executive Producer:David McIlvain, Executive Producer:Julie Yorn, Executive Producer:Terry McKay, Producer:Gary Lucchesi, Producer:Tom Rosenberg, Screenwriter:Paul Harris Boardman, Screenwriter:Scott Derrickson. Box Office: $74,400,000. Extras: Clr/Ws Nr/Unrated/Speci Clr Dvd-Standard.

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City of Angels / Michael (Double Feature)

• Pragmatic heart surgeon Maggie doesn't believe in angels.until she meets one. That angel is Seth, who can remain a spiritual being and live forever. Or he can forsake his immortality on the chance that Maggie might love him. Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan star in the rapturous and tender romance City of Angels [Side A]. Next, romantic comedy gets its wings in Michael [Side B]. John Travolta plays a di

Seth, an angel watching over Los Angeles, begins finding his job difficult as he falls in love with Maggie, a beautiful heart surgeon.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: PG13
Release Date: 14-SEP-2004
Media Type: DVDSome critics complained that City of Angels could never compare to Wim Wenders's exquisite German film Wings of Desire, which served as the later film's primary inspiration. The better argument to make is that any such comparisons are b! eside the point, because Wings of Desire was a much more deeply poetic, artfully contemplative film, whereas City of Angels is an enchanting product of mainstream Hollywood. Meg Ryan stars as Dr. Maggie Rice, a heart surgeon who is grieving over a lost patient when an angel named Seth (Nicolas Cage) appears to comfort her. She can see him despite the "rule" that angels are invisible, and Seth's love for Maggie forces him to choose between angelic immortality and a normal human existence on earth with her. Featuring heavenly roles for TV veterans Andre Braugher and Dennis Franz, the film liberally borrows imagery from Wings of Desire, but it also creates its own charming identity. Cage and Ryan give fine performances as lovers convinced they are soul mates, and although the plot relies on a last-minute twist that doesn't quite work, this earnest love story struck a chord with audiences and proved to be one of the surprise hits of 1998. --Jeff ShannonCITY OF ANGELS - DVD MovieSome critics complained that C! ity of A ngels could never compare to Wim Wenders's exquisite German film Wings of Desire, which served as the later film's primary inspiration. The better argument to make is that any such comparisons are beside the point, because Wings of Desire was a much more deeply poetic, artfully contemplative film, whereas City of Angels is an enchanting product of mainstream Hollywood. Meg Ryan stars as Dr. Maggie Rice, a heart surgeon who is grieving over a lost patient when an angel named Seth (Nicolas Cage) appears to comfort her. She can see him despite the "rule" that angels are invisible, and Seth's love for Maggie forces him to choose between angelic immortality and a normal human existence on earth with her. Featuring heavenly roles for TV veterans Andre Braugher and Dennis Franz, the film liberally borrows imagery from Wings of Desire, but it also creates its own charming identity. Cage and Ryan give fine performances as lovers convinced they are soul! mates, and although the plot relies on a last-minute twist that doesn't quite work, this earnest love story struck a chord with audiences and proved to be one of the surprise hits of 1998. --Jeff ShannonPragmatic heart surgeon Maggie doesn't believe in angels...until she meets one. That angel is Seth, who can remain a spiritual being and live forever. Or he can forsake his immortality on the chance that Maggie might love him. Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan star in the rapturous and tender romance City of Angels [Side A]. Next, romantic comedy gets its wings in Michael [Side B]. John Travolta plays a disheveled, Heaven-sent angel who's just a little bit devilish as he tries to make the most of his terrestrial visit. Andie MacDowell co-stars as a member of a tabloid team that's eager to reel in a page-one story. Divine comedy!

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Hollywoodland (Widescreen Edition)

• Condition: New
• Format: DVD
• AC-3; Color; Dolby; Dubbed; DVD; Subtitled; Widescreen; NTSC

Based on the true story of Hollywood's most notorious unsolved mystery, Hollywoodland is a tale of glamour, scandal, and corruption in 1950's Los Angeles. When George Reeves (Ben Affleck), star of TV's Adventures of Superman, is found dead in his home, millions of fans are shocked by the circumstances of his death. The police and the studio bosses want the case closed as a suicide, but rumors linger. Louis Simo (Adrien Brody), a private investigator, picks up the trail and begins to piece together the actor's last, tension-filled days. Who pulled the trigger? Was it the seductive yet scheming fiancee, the spurned lover (Diane Lane), the enraged husband (Bob Hoskins), or was it Reeves himself? Starring: Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Bob Hoskins, Lois Smith, Robbin Tunney, Moll! y Parker, Kathleen Robertson, Joe Spano Directed by: Allen CoulterThe fact-based mystery of Hollywoodland takes place in 1959, when the death of Adventures of Superman TV star George Reeves cast a pall over the waning days of golden-age Hollywood. As written by Paul Bernbaum, this intriguing whodunit effectively evokes the tainted atmosphere that surrounded Reeves' death (officially ruled a suicide but never conclusively solved), and speculates on circumstances to suggest that Reeves may have been murdered. In combining the melancholy course of Reeves' career with the investigation of a down-and-out private detective into the possible causes of Reeves' death, the film evolves into an engrossing study of parallels between lives on either side of the Hollywood dream. Building upon a distinguished career in TV including episodes of HBO's The Sopranos, Rome and Six Feet Under, director Allen Coulter finds a satisfying balance between the tragi! c overtones of the Reeves case and the time-honored elements o! f the gu mshoe genre, with Adrien Brody doing fine work as private eye Louis Simo, a fictional composite character who is our conduit to the desperate yearnings of Reeves' final months.

In a critically acclaimed performance, Ben Affleck plays Reeves in moody flashbacks, caught between Superman stardom and financial dependence on his lover Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the somewhat predatory wife of Hollywood "fixer" and MGM honcho Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), whose mob connections suggest foul play as Simo's investigation progresses. Reeves' subsequent lover (played by Robin Tunney) may also be culpable, and as Simo's own personal life unravels, his empathy for Reeves takes on added significance. In presenting its mystery as a set of plausible scenarios, Hollywoodland holds interest as a mystery that's refreshingly compassionate toward the fate of its characters. Warts and all, they're likable dreamers in a town where dreams don't always come true. --Jeff Shannon

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L.A. Confidential (Two-Disc Special Edition)

• L.A. Confidential is "tough, gorgeous and vastly entertaining" (James Maslin, The New York Times) and won 1997 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson). Three cops, a call girl, a mysterious millionaire, a tabloid journalist fuel a labyrinthine plot rife with mystery, ambition, romance and humor. Format: DVD MOVI

Landmark movie in the film noir tradition, Roman Polanski's Chinatown stands as a true screen classic. Jack Nicholson is private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night in...Chin! atown. Co-starring film legend John Huston and featuring an Academy Award®-winning script by Robert Towne, Chinatown captures a lost era in a masterfully woven movie that remains a timeless gem.Roman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse investigation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigsaw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic father, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorabl! e cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of ! the grea test, most completely satisfying crime films of all time. --Anne HurleyRoman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse investigation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigsaw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic father, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorable cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of the greatest, most completely satisfying crime films of a! ll time. --Anne HurleyLandmark movie in the film noir tradition, Roman Polanski's Chinatown stands as a true screen classic. Jack Nicholson is private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night in...Chinatown. Co-starring film legend John Huston and featuring an Academy Award®-winning script by Robert Towne, Chinatown captures a lost era in a masterfully woven movie that remains a timeless gem.Roman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in ! the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse invest! igation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigsaw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic father, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorable cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of the greatest, most completely satisfying crime films of all time. --Anne HurleyRoman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse investigation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigs! aw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic father, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorable cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of the greatest, most completely satisfying crime films of all time. --Anne HurleyRoman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse investigation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigsaw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous! Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic fath! er, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorable cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of the greatest, most completely satisfying crime films of all time. --Anne HurleyJack Nicholson returns as private eye Jake Gittes in this atmospheric Chinatown follow-up that's hit upon "the elusive sequel formula for somehow enhancing a great original" (Mike Clark, USA Today).Much has changed since we last saw Jake. The war has come and gone; 1948 Los Angeles teems with optimism and fast bucks. But there's one thing Jake knows hasn't changed: "Nine times out of ten, if you follow the money you will get to the truth." And that's the trail he follows when a routine case of marital hanky panky exp! lodes into a murder that's tied to a grab for oil--and to Jake's own past.Set more than a decade after the story in Chinatown, this 1990 sequel brings Jack Nicholson back to the screen as L.A. private detective Jake Gittes. Older, fatter, worn, and frustrated, the Jake of 1948 is still haunted by the tragic events of the earlier film. While investigating a case involving adultery and questionable land dealings by an L.A. tycoon (Harvey Keitel as the other Jake), Gittes unexpectedly confronts a few old ghosts and discovers that the resource of choice in Southern California--one for which people die--is no longer water but oil. The film had a notorious production history, with Nicholson taking over the project from writer-director Robert Towne, and the dense plot can be difficult to follow. But if The Two Jakes doesn't measure up to the legendary status of its stylish predecessor, the film does satisfy on its own terms and brings the events of Chin! atown to a moving conclusion. Terrific work by Keitel and! support ing players Meg Tilly, Madeleine Stowe, Eli Wallach, and Ruben Blades. --Tom KeoghLA CONFIDENTIAL:SPECIAL EDITION - DVD MovieIn a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, L.A. Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhere, and White Jazz)--a compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown. Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy vot! ers: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical, and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson

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Christmas in Wonderland

• Patrick Swayze Leads a Sweet Family Comedy for the Holidays!Fresh from a cross-country move and strapped for the holidays, it's turning out to be a pretty rotten holiday season for the Saunders family. Things start looking a bit more like Christmas when 12-year-old Brian and 6-year-old Mary find a hoard of cash at the local mall and launch a Yuletide shopping spree.that is, until the crooks who c

CHRISTMAS IN WONDERLAND - DVD Movie

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HO Accident Waiting to Happen

• Detailed, hand painted figures and accessories
• American prototype figures fit perfectly on any layout or diorama
• Attach with Scenic Accents Glue (WOOA198)

Oscar nominee* Geena Davis stars as Gloria Conway, the sharp-tongued mom in this darkly comic story of a family strangely cursed with a streak of bad luck. But as life takes unexpected detours, Gloria manages to tear apart her pain to find the humor in even the toughest things that happen to her. When her teenage son Billy uncharacteristically lets off some steam in a series of scandalous pranks, the tragic results are something no one could have predicted. But with the love of his family and some unexpected help, Billy sees the magic behind lifes oddest accidents. *Best Supporting Actress: The Accidental Tourist, 1988 Oscar nominee* Geena Davis stars as Gloria Conway, the sharp-tongued mom in this darkly comic story of a f! amily strangely cursed with a streak of bad luck. But as life takes unexpected detours, Gloria manages to tear apart her pain to find the humor in even the toughest things that happen to her. When her teenage son Billy uncharacteristically lets off some steam in a series of scandalous pranks, the tragic results are something no one could have predicted. But with the love of his family and some unexpected help, Billy sees the magic behind lifes oddest accidents. *Best Supporting Actress: The Accidental Tourist, 1988 Josh Michaels is worth more dead than alive. He just doesn't know it yet. He has no idea why someone would try to kill him, clearly that's exactly what happened. When an SUV forced Josh's car off the road and into a river, it might have been an accident. But when Josh looked up at the road, expecting to see the SUV's driver rushing to help him, all he saw was the driver watching him calmly...then giving him a "thumbs down" sign. That was merely the first attempt! on Josh's life, all of them designed to look like accidents, ! and all of them very nearly fatal. With his time--and maybe his luck--running out and no one willing to believe him, Josh had better figure out who wants him dead and why...before it's too late.Josh Michaels is worth more dead than alive. He just doesn't know it yet. He has no idea why someone would try to kill him, clearly that's exactly what happened. When an SUV forced Josh's car off the road and into a river, it might have been an accident. But when Josh looked up at the road, expecting to see the SUV's driver rushing to help him, all he saw was the driver watching him calmly...then giving him a "thumbs down" sign. That was merely the first attempt on Josh's life, all of them designed to look like accidents, and all of them very nearly fatal. With his time--and maybe his luck--running out and no one willing to believe him, Josh had better figure out who wants him dead and why...before it's too late.

Praise for Accidents Waiting to Happen :

“One of the mos! t riveting first chapters I have read in some time. The pacing is spectacular and gets progressively faster as the reader nears the finale. An unqualified recommendation.”
â€" Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

“An impressive debut.”
â€" Mystery Scene Magazine

“Simon Wood...delivers a suspenseful, brisk tale in his debut.”
â€" South Florida Sun Sentinel

“What a thrill ride!”
â€" Literary Editor for the East Bay Express

“A smashing, rip roaring success.”
â€" Over My Dead Body Magazine

“Events escalate in ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN at break- neck speed. The thought that the plot could be a reality in today's world is shocking, to say the least. The suspense builds in each chapter, the plot thickens, and I could not put it down. Debut author Simon Wood is a welcome addition to the thriller/suspense genre.”
â€" Fresh Fiction

“ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN ! is a thriller at its best.”
â€" I Love A Mystery

â €œACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN is a briskly plotted thriller that uses point of view shifts better than any novel I’ve read in quite a while in his debut.”
â€" CrimeSpree Magazine

“Simon Wood has fashioned an exciting and well-written novel of suspense, with a nail-biting conclusion during which this reader held her breath in anticipation of what new horrors might be in store!”
â€" Mystery Morgue

“Accidents Waiting To Happen is loaded with suspense and I didn't want to put it down.”
â€" Mysteries Galore

“Accidents Waiting To Happen is as streamlined as a bullet from a hit man's gun.”
â€" Horrorworld

“Simon Wood opens with a breath-taking scene and never lets up...a must read.”
â€" Mysterical-E

“Twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing till the last page.”
â€" All About Murder Reviews

“Enthusiastically recommended.”
â€" The Midwest Book ! Review

Josh Michaels is worth more dead than alive. He just doesn't know it yet. He has no idea why someone would try to kill him, clearly that's exactly what happened. When an SUV forced Josh's car off the road and into a river, it might have been an accident. But when Josh looked up at the road, expecting to see the SUV's driver rushing to help him, all he saw was the driver watching him calmly...then giving him a "thumbs down" sign. That was merely the first attempt on Josh's life, all of them designed to look like accidents, and all of them very nearly fatal. With his time--and maybe his luck--running out and no one willing to believe him, Josh had better figure out who wants him dead and why...before it's too late.

Praise for Accidents Waiting to Happen :

“One of the most riveting first chapters I have read in some time. The pacing is spectacular and gets progressively faster as the reader nears the finale. An unqualified recommendation.” â€" Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine

“An impressi! ve debut .”
â€" Mystery Scene Magazine

“Simon Wood...delivers a suspenseful, brisk tale in his debut.”
â€" South Florida Sun Sentinel

“What a thrill ride!”
â€" Literary Editor for the East Bay Express

“A smashing, rip roaring success.”
â€" Over My Dead Body Magazine

“Events escalate in ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN at break- neck speed. The thought that the plot could be a reality in today's world is shocking, to say the least. The suspense builds in each chapter, the plot thickens, and I could not put it down. Debut author Simon Wood is a welcome addition to the thriller/suspense genre.”
â€" Fresh Fiction

“ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN is a thriller at its best.”
â€" I Love A Mystery

“ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN is a briskly plotted thriller that uses point of view shifts better than any novel I’ve read in quite a while in his debut.”
â€" CrimeSpree Magazine

“Simon Wood has fashio! ned an exciting and well-written novel of suspense, with a nail-biting conclusion during which this reader held her breath in anticipation of what new horrors might be in store!”
â€" Mystery Morgue

“Accidents Waiting To Happen is loaded with suspense and I didn't want to put it down.”
â€" Mysteries Galore

“Accidents Waiting To Happen is as streamlined as a bullet from a hit man's gun.”
â€" Horrorworld

“Simon Wood opens with a breath-taking scene and never lets up...a must read.”
â€" Mysterical-E

“Twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing till the last page.”
â€" All About Murder Reviews

“Enthusiastically recommended.”
â€" The Midwest Book Review

Automobile safety has progressed slowly and at the expense of millions of lives. Vivid footage shares the story of our dangerous love affair with the automobile, from early "motorized coffins" that disintegrated on impact to the "smart" prot! ection found in today's vehicles. Discover the fascinating evo! lution o f auto design, and learn how science and technology are vastly improving the survivability of auto accidents.That annoying beep or voice reminding you to buckle up might be a bit more welcome after watching Escape! Because Accidents Happen: Car Crash by Nova. Automotive accidents kill more Americans each year than all other accidental causes combined, but scientists and engineers strive to create safer cars and highways to make crashes less likely and more survivable. See incredible footage of a 150-mph crash on the Autobahn from which the driver walked away! (He owes his life to a roll bar, and fortunately no one else was involved.) Designers talk about the history of auto safety improvement and footage of crash tests speaks for itself--those dummies are a lot better off now! If you spend much time in a car, or care about someone else who does, check out Escape! Because Accidents Happen: Car Crash and learn how to make the next ride safer. --Rob Li! ghtner

Scenic Accents is a collection of sculpted, detailed and hand-painted N, HO, O and G scale figures, animals and accessories. Each piece exudes personality creted by the craftsman and is a work of art at an affordable price. Their natural charm will steal the show. To attach, apply Scenic Accents Glue (WOOA198) and set in place.

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