The Great Escape (Criterion Collection) - BLU-RAY

Co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, this heartwarming computer-animated holiday tale, based on Chris Van Allsburg's book, centers on a young boy whose belief in Santa Claus is beginning to waver. Lying awake on Christmas Eve, he hears the rumble of a locomotive outside his home. Boarding the train with a host of other children, he embarks on a thrilling adventure bound for the North Pole. Tom Hanks, Michael Jeter, Nona Gaye, Eddie Deezen, and Peter Scolari provide live-action performances that were later digitized. 100 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack English. Two-disc set.

Gremlins is a wildly original roller-coaster ride of hilarious mischief. One minute your hair will stand on end, the next you'll hold your sides with laughter at the havoc these supposedly gentle furballs create when the rules surrounding their care and feeding are inadvertently broken one fateful Christmas. Written by Chris Columbus and directed by Joe Dante, Gremlins unleashes special effects that dazzle and enchant and merriment that lingers in the memory. And isn't that Inchwhat superior popular moviemaking is all aboutInch (Richard Corliss, Time).

Desperate to prove themselves, SpongeBob and Patrick sign on to the ghost ship of the fearsome Flying Dutchman, who's seeking a pure soul to sacrifice and end his eternal cursed voyage. Thing is, the ancient mariner didn't tell our absorbent adventurer that he filled the sacrificial bill-so Mr. Krabbs, Squidward, and Gary have to mount a rescue! Fourth big-screen blowout from Bikini Bottom features the voices of Tom Kenny, Mark Hamill, George Lopez, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown. 96 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack English.