Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 22nd, 2006
Everyone in the world knows about the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. With films hitting the big screen in 2006, I guess the studios thought time enough had gone by to start making movies on the tragedy. World Trade Center is based on the attacks on the World Trade Center, as obvious by its name, but makes mention of the other attacks of the day. I can�t comment on the realism of the movie pertaining to the individuals depicted in the film (John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno) but they were involved with the production of the film, and since film is based on their accounts of the day I could imagine it�s very realistic. There are a few factual inaccuracies regarding some of the events of the day, but nothing major.
World Trade Center opens on the morning of September 11, 2001 when everyone was going about his or her life without any idea of the tragedy that was about to strike. You get a glimpse into the lives of John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) two Port Authority police officers and family men as they leave for work. The two begin their day as usual patrolling Lower Manhattan until there is a loud thump similar to that of an earthquake. The officers rally back at their police station and together head to the site of the World Trade Center to help evacuate people. Along the way they get news of the second tower being hit, and debate whether or not that could have even happened. When they arrive they are asked to volunteer to enter 5 World Trade Center (a building part of the 7 buildings that made up the World Trade Center) and help people escape.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 20th, 2006
Some films never achieve greatness, but still manage to leave their viewers with a wry smile, and a “that wasn’t so bad, I’m glad I watched it” mentality. Lonesome Jim from IFC Films is one such motion picture. Starring Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler and directed by Steve Buscemi, this is one mood-swinging comedy that will lull you into complacency, then occasionally drop large hilarious bombs into the experience when least expected. Centered on a depressing, tight-lipped, tell-it-like-it-is, loner, who is for...ed back into the misery of his parents’ house when he runs out of money, Lonesome Jim dramatizes a dreary journey from stark hopelessness to undying optimism. The laughs don’t come easy, but hang around, and you’ll reap the rewards.
Affleck and Tyler are familiar with one another, albeit in a six-degrees-of-Kevin Bacon sort of way, as Tyler previously played opposite the other Affleck in two films - Armageddon and Jersey Girl. Now she’s changing out for the younger brother, and I think the result is a better romance than Jersey Girl, but a lesser film than Armageddon. Holding it all together is Buscemi’s increasingly competent direction. (If you’ve seen his previous effort Trees’ Lounge you’ll know the kind of quirky comedy to expect here.) It’s a refreshing film, but not an uproarious one. Mary Kay Place, Seymour Cassel, and Mark Boone Junior, also star.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 20th, 2006
Director Ron Howard is quite the puzzling man. He surely knows how to direct a fine film like A Beautiful Mind or even The Da Vinci Code, but still knows how to give us that random piece of crap. When word came that Howard was going to adapt Dr. Seuss� timeless classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas, I immediately questioned why? After all wasn�t the TNT special that airs oh 40-50 times a year good enough? I guess not for Hollywood as the 2000 remake made some serious bank with Jim Carrey portraying the lead character. The only unfortunate part here is that the film is absolutely horrendous.
Obviously being billed as a kid�s movie, this 2000 remake attempts (key word attempts) to reach the level that the TNT classic has by telling us the basic story. The first major problem is that the original 26-minute version that honestly everyone has probably seen is stretched out over the course of some 90 minutes. You must be asking yourself how did Howard and company manage to do this? Well first they decided to cast normal great actor Jim Carrey in the leading role. The Grinch is a boring, old, foogie who hates Christmas. We never learn why he hates Christmas (even though in the cartoon version we can assume it may be because of the togetherness of the season). In this version, Howard decided to just assume we could figure this one out. Even though the Grinch does hate Christmas, I must admit that Carrey does what he can with the material at hand. He�s able to make the film slightly (SLIGHTLY!) entertaining with his interesting humor and quirky smiles.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 19th, 2006
Spike TV has really picked up steam in recent years, and this momentum is nowhere more apparent than in their staple show MXC – Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. Now on DVD with the complete first season, fans of the show and adventurous new viewers are sure to enjoy the antics and wisecracks of hosts “Kenny” and “Vic,” who provide commentary on each episode of insane Asian people sacrificing their bodies for the thrill of being on television. Of course, the American voiceovers of MXC are all added ...ost-facto. But the original show – “Takeshi’s Castle” – is not short on the crazies itself, as we see from this collection’s bonus materials.
I’m not sure how necessary owning these 13 episodes on DVD is, but to each his own. I am content to watch on Spike TV late night, but I will admit, some of Kenny’s most painful eliminations are worth multiple viewings. If you like to see people in pain but not to the point of death, then this What’s Up, Tiger Lily game-show knock off is for you. Just be careful, and, above all, “Don’t Get Eliminated!”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 18th, 2006
A Fish Called Wanda returns to DVD, this time in a stunning 2-disc collector’s edition that finally gives adequate treatment to one of the funniest surprises of the eighties. John Cleese stars as an English barrister, whose life is so dull and – well, British – that a seductress/jewel thief named Wanda comes along and steals his heart in record time. But Wanda carries a lot of baggage with her, the heaviest piece being a Nietzche-quoting moron, who just so happens to be her psychotic boyfriend. Add an anima...-loving hitman with one of the world’s worst stuttering problems, and Wanda quickly turns into an outrageous farce – but one that works with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine.
This kind of film, without doubt, is Cleese’s strong suit. An alumnus of Monty Python, Cleese actually tones down the farcical elements, and I think his film benefits from the downgrade. While Cleese is a very funny actor, most of the good stuff goes to Kline, who can’t stand to be called stupid, though he is mostly incapable of proving such accusations wrong. But he is a formidable opponent once he gets his hands on you, a fact Cleese draws many laughs from in his scenes with the nemesis. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen A Fish Called Wanda, and you’re worried it’s lost something, don’t be. The film stands up well, though some of its humor has since been copied in more unflattering films. No doubt this reality will hurt some of the laughs, but there is still plenty of Kline, Cleese, and Michael Palin, to go around for everyone, so you shouldn’t be disappointed.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 17th, 2006
Little Miss Sunshine is a gem. With a quirky script, a great cast and interesting cinematography, there's plenty to appreciate as this ultimately uplifting film unfolds.
To make a great movie, they say you have to start with a great script. From there, your goal is just to not screw it up. Little Miss Sunshine's script laid just such a foundation for this film, as it's unique, funny and surprisingly heartwarming. The story is about a dysfunctional family. They've got a crude, drug-addicted grandpa; a suicidal, gay uncle; a mother "this close" to divorcing her husband, the struggling, aspiring motivational speaker; a son who has taken a vow of silence and only communicates via scribbling on a little notebook; and a slightly chubby little daughter who's working toward a goal of being a prepubescent beauty queen.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
Synopsis
Not to fawn too heavily on one side in the next-generation format wars, but how cool is HD-DVD? Well, if for nothing else, the HD-A1 and HD-XA1 players from Toshiba are all region-free. And while Warner Brothers has been slipping over themselves and teasing American consumers with a release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, British customers have gotten full penetration, and can pick up the fourth Potter film now. So I went onto Amazon UK and picked up my own copy, and I�m going to presume that the disc will be the same when it comes out here, whenever that will be.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
If there's something that bothers me about the wave of digital films for children's entertainment nowadays, it's that anyone who has a Mac and good enough software feels compelled to make a movie, no matter how much it sucks. And Disney (or Dreamworks) or another studio will put enough marketing money behind it to make anyone want to watch it.
How can you tell how good or bad it will be? Well, if it's not a Pixar film, you can generally tell by the cast that is brought in to do voice work for it. In the case of The Wild, Samson the Lion (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) lives in the New York zoo with his son Ryan (hey, that's me! But really it's Greg Cipes, John Tucker Must Die). Ryan is a little bit shy because he hasn't gotten his roar yet, and Samson is a legend among his zoo friends for the stories he tells. His friends include a giraffe named Bridget (Janeane Garofalo, The Truth About Cats and Dogs), a squirrel named Benny (Jim Belushi, According to Jim) and a snake named Larry (Richard Kind, Spin City). And Ryan leaves the zoo and accidentally gets on a ship bound for Africa, so Samson and friends follow the ship that lands'in the wild!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
Maybe you guys don't remember the Blake Edwards romantic comedies of the '70s and '80s like 10 or even Skin Deep, but I'd even go so far as to say that when it clicks, The Oh in Ohio is much in the same vein of those comedies. Anyone notice the disclaimer?
Anyway for those that missed it, Priscilla Chase (Parker Posey, Superman Returns) is a successful businesswoman in Cleveland who is married to Jack (Paul Rudd, Anchorman), a high school teacher in the area. They've been married for awhile, but the marriage is cold and distant, in large part because Priscilla has problems, well, "arriving", when she sleeps with Jack. Jack thinks the problem is his, even though it isn't.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
Well as far as girl groups go, I suppose one could do worse than the Cheetah Girls. Something that is a pretty clear production of the Disney network, the only recognizable thing about the group itself is the appearance of the big-boned Raven Symone, otherwise known as the youngest Cosby kid.
And it appears that several different plot devices occur through the film. You've got the Help! or other delirious fans of young groups. Then the girls travel to what appears to be Spain after maxing out their success in the US, so they decide to go without really going, using enough exterior shots to match up with the sound stage scenes. Then you've got the whole thing about them wanting to make it big, and I think at one point one of the girls falls in love, but I could be mistaken on this.
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