Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2005
Dave Chappelle and I are the same. Well, he’s a year younger than me. And he’s black. But we’re both from Washington DC, but I live in the suburbs, and usually never go into the downtown area unless someone dared me. But he’s a lot funnier than me, and Comedy Central decided to give him a 12 episode commitment on their network after seeing him in such films as Half Baked, Screwed and Undercover Brother.
And quietly, Dave has put together a smart, funny show that everyone instantly dismi...ses, and yet will watch as long as it airs. To watch a crackhead talk about drug awareness at a public school is quite possibly some of the funniest stuff on television in the last 3 or 4 years, and many of the new episodes on Comedy Central leave me in tears. Thankfully the network along with Paramount decided to put Season 1 out on DVD in a two-disc set, in all its uncensored glory. The 1st disc has eight episodes, while the 2nd has the remaining 4, plus a decent helping of bonus material that is sure to keep the laughs going long after you’ve turned off the TV. The episodes are:
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2005
This show the bomb diggity yo! Seriously though, Jonny Quest in a way revolutionized cartoons in the sense of realism that they tried to convey. Some of the cartoons that have come out since have done a pretty good job of it, but not too many shows were touching on topics such as laser technology, rockets and other concepts then looked at as “futuristic.” And put up against other shows of that era, the animation on Jonny Quest had an almost comic-book like feel to it, and it was a nice change of pace from the ...artoony feel of the Jetsons.
The show is focused around Jonny, his father, Dr. Benton Quest, the inventor and pre-eminent scientist of the era, Race Bannon, a man assigned to guard the Quests from any potential threats, as his innovations when in the wrong hands could pose a danger, Jonny’s friend Hadji, from the streets of Calcutta, and Jonny’s dog bandit, named for a patch of black fur that runs around his eyes like a mask, hence the name. The group traveled to exotic locations for every episode, battling numerous villains, some real, some not, some we’ll just call “fabled,” like gargoyles and abominable snowmen. For its 40th anniversary, Warner Brothers rolls out the 1st season of Jonny Quest, all 26 episodes, in all its glory, as part of the Golden Collection of animated DVD releases from Hanna-Barbera.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 12th, 2005
No, this is not the NBC series from the mid-90’s starring Rob Schneider. This is the original UK show. All 12 episodes from the first two seasons are available here on 2 discs. In fact, it’s not just a two disc set, but two completely separate releases packaged together.
At first, I was a little surprised that this mediocre show lasted for six full seasons. I changed my mind, however, when I thought about such American staples as Family Matters and Boy Meets World. They are not great monuments...to television excellence, but they are not horrible either. They are earmarked by middle-of-the-road humor, average plot lines and nothing too offensive.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 11th, 2005
I don’t remember hearing anything about Heat when it was coming out, but once I saw who was in it, I was hooked. With Al Pacino’s 8 Oscar nominations (with 1 award) and Robert DeNiro’s 6 nominations (and 2 awards), the two have had quintessential acting performances over the past 30 years, and the impact they have had on cinema speaks for itself.
The names of the characters are hardly consequential, as they are used to further storylines more than develop character. But Pacino plays a cop who is tr...cking a group of robbers, among them Val Kilmer (Wonderland) and Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan), a group headed by DeNiro. The group receives offers for work from Jon Voight (Runaway Train), and they rob anything from gold, to coins to bearer bonds. They are all ex-cons, and know all the ropes. They are a highly professional crew, which you see in the opening moments of the movie, despite the addition of a new man to the crew. What also helps to differentiate this from a usual cops and robbers movie are the secondary plotlines of the families involved. Pacino’s is clearly distant and breaking (played by Diane Venora and Natalie Portman), while DeNiro doesn’t have one to speak of, despite an emerging romance with Edy (Amy Brenneman, Judging Amy). At 3 hours, there are some unnecessary scenes involving a banker (played by William Fichtner), but the underlying message is that almost all of the actions in the movie do not involve just the primary characters, but also friends and loved ones of those characters. Kilmer’s wife in the film, played by Ashley Judd, desperately wants to get him out of his line of work, as she wants to start a new life for her family. An ex-con (Dennis Haysbert, 24) is stumbled upon working in a greasy spoon, and offered a chance to work by DeNiro. Haysbert’s character wants to be right, but runs into so many obstacles from it that he takes the job, only to wind up perishing in what results in a massive gunfight in the heart of Los Angeles while a bank robbery is being pulled.
Posted in: News and Opinions by Archive Authors on March 11th, 2005
Fox Home Entertainment will release the collector's edition of Man on Fire on May 24th. This 2-disc set will be presented in a 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen trnasfer, along with both English Dolby Digital 5.1 & DTS audio tracks. Extras will include two audio commentaries (the first by Director Tony Scott; the second by Lucas Foster, Brian Helgeland and Dakota Fanning), fifteen deleted scenes (including an alternate ending), a seventy-two minute documentary entitled "Vengeance is Mine: Reinventing Man on Fi...e", a "Pita's Abduction" multi-angle sequence, a "Oye Como Va" music video by Kinky, Tony Scott Storyboards for “Pita’s Abduction”, a photo gallery and Man On Fire TV spots.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 9th, 2005
Alice Through the Looking Glass is a 1998 television version of the Lewis Carroll classic. Now this is NOT Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Looking Glassis Carroll's lesser known follow up. There's no mad hatter or chasing white rabbits. But there are white queens, talking insects, and discussions of the Jabberwocky. This is a fairly faithful adaptation.
The story is simple. Alice, through her magic mirror, enters Carroll's world of dream logic and nonsense. Kate Beckinsale (re...ently seen in The Aviator) makes a wonderful Alice. Obviously, Beckinsale is considerably older than Carroll's literary heroine, but she pulls off the role handily with a mix of charm and curiousity. There are also notable supporting performances, Ian Holm is great in anything. The story is told almost entirely through dialogue, and the surreal, nonsensical language might make for a tough sitting with kids. However, sooner or later, every child must come into contact with Lewis Carroll's classic story. This DVD might be a good introduction, but the Walt Disney Alicemight be more of a sure bet.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 8th, 2005
Jeremyis an early 70's film that put Robby Benson on the map (for what that's worth). Benson was nominated for a Golden Globe for his tender performance as the title character. This is quite an intimate little perforance. Glynnis O'Connor plays Jeremy's love interest, Susan. O'Connor matches Benson's truthful performance. The film centers around Susan and Jeremy's awkward, but authentic, teenage romance.
The film moves along at a snail's pace. But that's part of the point. There are no major Romeo...and Juliet type melodramatics. The director, Arthur Barron, introduces a lot of hand-held camera work and non-conventional set-ups. The result has a documentary type feel. The trouble with Jeremy is that it's caught between telling a good story and maintaining a cinema verite style. The results are lukewarm, but always interesting.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 7th, 2005
Five discs, ten episodes, one amazing show.
For those that are unaware, MI-5 (or Spooks, as it is called in the UK) is a popular spy series set in London. While some similarities will inevitably be drawn to ABC‘s Alias, MI-5 is an excellent show in its own right. I highly recommend that those that are new to the series start with Season One of the show and work their way up. Starting in the middle of a series cliffhanger is never a good idea, as I learned all-too-late. Of course,...the fact that I wondered in to the show in the middle of the action, with no background knowledge of the series, and was immediately hooked might also say something about the addictive nature of this show. Neverthless, the best place to begin is at the beginning.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 6th, 2005
There are two kinds of men on the planet; those that are fans of Gilligan‘s Island, and those that are not. Now, every man will gladly participate in the Ginger vs. Mary Ann debate, but as for actually liking the show for it’s intended purpose, that‘s something different altogether. I must admit, I am not a fan. I find the show unbearably lame, and have a hard time putting aside my desire for quality programming to enjoy the campy and carefree nature of the classic series.
There are a whopping 32 epi...odes in this season, which is a lot even by today’s standards. Furthermore, the episodes have all been crammed onto three double-sided discs, which makes this season set a real value. Warner Brothers always does a great job of making their classic television sets as economical as possible, and this one is no exception. All of this, coupled with the fact that there were only three seasons in the life of this show, makes the decision to collect this series an easy one for true Island fans.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 6th, 2005
I’m still trying to figure out why no one wanted anything to do with this project. Among some of the names I read that were attached to this in some fashion or another were Sean Penn, Mike Myers, Johnny Depp and Nicole Kidman. After what seemed like an eternity, George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven) decided to tackle the film as a first time director. The project seemed to roll from there, casting Sam Rockwell (Heist) as the lead, along with marquee names Drew Barrymore (Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle... and Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) in supporting roles. Rockwell plays Gong Show host and television producer Chuck Barris, in writer Charlie Kaufman’s (Being John Malkovich) adaptation of the book of the same name. The story poses the question; What if the man who created The Newlywed Game was actually a CIA hitman?
The story focuses on Barris’ life, but first starts with him, naked in a hotel room in the early 1980’s. By this time, he’s a shadow of what he used to be, and he believes that writing his memoirs will be a cathartic process. He recounts his stories as a youngster obsessed by success, and the women that come with it. He remains a dreamer while working on the set of American Bandstand in the early 60’s, and meets Penny (Barrymore). Chuck and Penny have a friendship that grows more intimate with time. And despite Chuck’s ups and downs in his life, Penny is usually there to pick him up.
