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Disc Reviews by Steve Smythe on February 13th, 2002
Intro
It’s official. The franchise has been run into the ground. They’ve made a baseball movie with virtually no baseball and the little bit that you do see has no tension or comedy.
Synopsis
The Bears head to Japan at the urging of a scam artist (Tony Curtis) hoping to make big bucks in endorsement deals. Along the way they discover that love of the game is more important than competition. And in his last gasp at stardom, Jackie Earle Haley falls in love with a Japanese girl, walk…
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Disc Reviews by Steve Smythe on February 13th, 2002
Intro
From its tissue-paper thin plot to the loss of the two main performers from the original Bad News Bears, what you see as you watch The Bad News Bears In Breaking Training, is the death of a franchise. Sure, there’s another haphazard follow-up, but the writing is on the wall.
Synopsis
This installment has The Bears traveling to Houston to play a single game against the Texas little league champs for the right to go to Japan. Why the Bears are chosen for this trip is never made c…
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Disc Reviews by Steve Smythe on February 9th, 2002
Intro
In this world of political correctness it’s a breath of fresh air to revisit this classic film from 1976. Sadly, it’s been given a completely lackluster DVD release.
Synopsis
A washed up former minor league baseball player (Walter Matthau) is given the task of taking a hapless group of kids and turning them into a team. With the help of his secret pitching weapon (Tatum O’Neal) they take a run at the pennant.
Audio
Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Mono. Gi…
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Disc Reviews by Steve Smythe on February 3rd, 2002
Intro
Based on a true story, unfortunately, the story is just average and the DVD release is on the same par.
Synopsis
American Rhapsody tells the story of a Hungarian families (Nastassja Kinski, Tony Goldwyn) escape from their country during Communist rule. Because of the danger they must leave their baby behind and circumstances prevent her from coming to America for another six years. Once she becomes a teenager (Scarlett Johansson), the young girl knows something is missing from h…
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Disc Reviews by Steve Smythe on February 2nd, 2002
Intro
A labour of love…the director (Gillian Grisman) has taken home movie and live performance footage to create a compelling documentary about the friendship between her father (David Grisman) and the late Jerry Garcia.
Jerry Garcia best known as the lead guitarist of the Grateful Dead and the lesser known, at least in my musical knowledge, mandolin maestro David Grisman could easily have been separated at birth. The “twin” musicians have a sound all there own and even if the music isn’t to your…
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Disc Reviews by Steve Smythe on February 2nd, 2002
Intro
From the washed out video to the sappy Barry Manilow songs the best that can be said about this disc is it might be a good babysitter for a 3 year old.
Synopsis
The story is derived from the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale Thumbelina. After Thumbelina falls in love with a fairy prince she is kidnapped by a family of show toads, and upon her escape goes from one adventure to the next in trying to find her true love.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dol…
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Disc Reviews by Steve Smythe on January 25th, 2002
Intro
The makers of this DVD have thought of just about everything to deliver a film that has as many layers as an onion and can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike. A parent is able to let their child watch their own full-frame version of the film on one disc while they watch the widescreen version on another. Thereby preventing the young one from continually asking, “Daddy, why do you keep laughing when they say Farquaad?”
Synopsis
The classic fairytale spun on its head. …
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