Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 20th, 2004
It seems like there have been quite a few dramatic films over the past three years or so that have fallen into this trap of bad marketing. Curiously enough, they all seem to have the same narrative feel, from Heist to Confidence to Spy Games… and now Spartan. I sometimes have a hard time figuring out why some films become hits, and some don’t. (Of course, if I were a master at that, I would be the highest paid man in Hollywood.) I don’t understand how mindless films like Men in Black II.../i> can make their money back, but taught dramas like Spartan do mediocre work at the box office.
Regardless, this is a film that deserves to be seen by a wider audience. This picture is an exciting mix of dramatic sub-genres; part of the action seems to be drawn from CBS’ hit television show Without a Trace, part from Nicholas Cage’s 8mm, and part from any number of Tom Clancy novels. The result is a sharp film that is more concerned with the urgency of the story than it is explaining every little detail to the viewing audience. Names and faces aren’t important, just the mission at hand.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 17th, 2004
I am sure that many consumers have noticed the disturbing trend taking place in DVD land with regard to the same movie being released in multiple versions. This practice, commonly referred to in the industry as “multiple bites at the apple”, is a cheap way for studios to persuade consumers to buy movies that they already own over and over again, since each new release offers some sort of extra upgrade from the previous versions. Even those of us in the DVD community sometimes get burned on this type of thing, as ther... is not always a way to tell if we should purchase a product when it is new, or wait for a few years, in the hopes that a better version will come along. Adding to the frustration is the fact that on some occasions, versions are so different that consumers actually want to own multiple versions of a film. This is the case with the Lord of the Rings films, as the extended editions are quite different from their theatrical counterparts. Arguably, the upcoming Kill Bill releases will merit this kind of double purchasing as well.
Das Boot is also one of those films that has fallen victim to the practice of multiple releases. Originally, the film was released in a standard American theatrical version. It became such a hit with movie buffs, however, that an extended Director’s Cut was issued as well. Following this release, a separate Superbit edition of the Director’s Cut hit the shelves. All versions sold well, and the legend of Wolfgang Peterson’s epic film about a German submarine crew during World War II continued to grow. As more and more people saw this film, word started to circulate about the existence of a massive five-hour version of the film. Being a town that never misses a chance to make a buck, Hollywood listened to the ramblings, and in 2004, the complete epic was finally released on DVD.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 16th, 2004
The mid-nineties Fox Spider-Man was hands down the best animated series of the time. It was one of the first series to use a Japanese animation company to produce a regular Saturday morning series and the Japanese influence was immediately striking. The brightness and depth of colors as well as the consistency of the animation blew away everything else that was available on TV at the time. The stories were outstanding in that they borrowed heavily from classic comic stories and adapted them for viewers that may not b... as familiar with the Spider-Man mythos as us comic book geeks (I’ve been buying Spider-Man comics for about 25 years now…I guess I qualify as a comic book geek…oh well…). With the theme music done by none other than Aerosmith’s guitar god Joe Perry, this series rocked right from the intro.
So with that intro…how could Marvel and Buena Vista mess up this DVD so much?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 12th, 2004
There is an interesting trend that seems to be going on in Hollywood right now. Contrary to the record of history, sequels are starting to turn out better, not worse, than their original productions. X2 was better than X-Men, Spidey 2 was better than the first, and each installment in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy built upon the previous episode to an eventual Best Picture climax. I am thrilled that this is the case, since there are more sequels being made now than ever before.
...p>The trend seems to work better with dramas and action films than it does with comedies, though. For every Kill Bill Vol. 2 out there, there seem to be six or seven The Whole Ten Yards’. Understandably, it was with some trepidation that I approached my viewing of Barbershop 2. Thankfully, when it come to this comedy, the positive trend continues. I have no problems saying that this film was better than the first one in just about every way. Obviously, the budget was bigger, which allowed for expanded sets and a larger cast. Apparently it allowed for even funnier writers this time around as well, as the jokes come at a fast and furious pace.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 9th, 2004
This is an odd little film, indeed. The best way that I can describe it is as a cross between Bowfinger and a James Bond film. It is billed as a comedy, but the first half-hour is clearly drama. Of course, when the comedy portion does come in, it’s not funny either. The plot is surprisingly complex, but at its core, it involves a movie production that accidentally captures a crime taking place on film. Now the criminals are after the crew.
Truth be told, this might have turned out to have been a pret...y decent little script after 20 or 30 re-writes. There are elements of action, mystery and comedy that could have been developed into something at least as entertaining as The Tuxedo. Unfortunately, however, those re-writes were not performed, and what we have here is a rough draft caught on film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 7th, 2004
Sometimes, I just don’t know where to begin with these reviews. There are bad movies, there are really bad movies, and then there are movies such as this. When it comes to DVD, extremely bad comedies are the lowest of the low. Bad dramas, horror films or love stories are usually only bad because they are tired and predictable. While that doesn’t make them any less annoying, at least they are comfortable. A bad comedy, however, goes beyond those other annoyances and creates something that is truly uncomfortable. It’s ...ot just a poorly-made film, but it actually makes the viewer groan at how bad it is. This is an all-new level of suckage.
The plot of this bad movie is a simple one (of course); Mexicans throw a party. That’s about it. Oh, and there are “hot girls” (the majority of whom are not hot at all) that sometimes take their tops off for no apparent reason. There’s hardly enough material here to make a full movie. (In fact, as an interesting side note, the box lists the running time of the movie at 90 minutes, but a screening revealed that the time is actually closer to 70.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 2nd, 2004
I usually meet discs that contain a movie that I have never previously heard of with a groan. I figure the chances are that if I missed it in theaters, and I have never seen a preview for it, or seen it mentioned on a chat board, there’s probably a good reason. These were my exact feelings on the day that 3-Way arrived on my doorstep. These feelings were further confirmed upon insertion of the disc, when I was greeted by trailers for such classic films as Cruel intentions 2 and 3, and Wild Thi...gs 2.
It was with an apprehensive heart that I finally pushed the “play” button on my remote. “At least it’s only 88 minutes long,” I told myself. Imagine my utter shock when the film actually tuned out to be entertaining! Now, it’s certainly not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it sure is a load of fun. In fact, it is fun in very much the same way that the original Wild Things was fun. There is lots of sex, lots of crime, and everybody double-crosses everybody else; all of which is portrayed by a cast of semi-popular actors.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 20th, 2004
Well if you don’t know what is going on in this film then I am not quite sure why you are reading this review. This is the third and final installment of the Lord of the Ring’s trilogy, we finally after three long years get to discover the fate of Frodo, the ring, Sam, Gollum and all of Middle Earth. This film like The Two Towers just keeps getting better and managing to exceed our ever increasing expectations.
The multiple story lines all come together and finally conclude themselves, maybe not quite exac...ly as it is in the book but some changes had to be made. The only complaint about the film itself is that the endings seem to drag on longer then necessary but again when viewed in the context of the books it actually wraps up quite neatly and quickly. Nonetheless the film is superb and for all those collectors out there we are still waiting with baited breath for the announcement of the 4 disc extended cut but, this will keep is satisfied until then.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 18th, 2004
Apparently inspired by Three Godfathers, the over-sentimental John Ford western from 1948, the "godfathers" here are three homeless Tokyo-ites -- Gin, a former professional bicycle racer; Hana, a transvestite; and Miyuki, a young runaway girl -- living together in Shinjuku, Tokyo. On Christmas Eve, they find a baby, and embark on a journey that takes them all across the city in order to reunite the baby with its parents, while at the same time bringing their own lives closer to their ultimate destinies. Fun, fast-pac...d, and cleverly laced with well-timed humor, the wacky events that ensue have a deep element of humanity that craftily puts into context their entire journey.
From his jump-cuts from extreme facial gestures, to the hilarious "Homo of Tokyo" run cycles of the strong-willed comic-relief Hana, director Satoshi Kon certainly knows how to entertain an audience. But the depth of the characters and the poignancy of the ultimate storyline are what separate Godfathers from the usual Anime fare. A wonderful achievement.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 18th, 2004
Wizards is a Ralph Bakshi production that is a lot more family friendly than some of his other better known works aka Fritz the Cat and the less said about his adaptation of The Lord of The Rings, the better. Wizards does borrow a lot from the Tolkein classic however, in it’s themes of industrialism versus nature as played out in the classic good versus evil story.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where an ancient prophet foretells the coming of twins who will battle and the outcome of the con...lict will determine the fate of the new Earth. As predicted, twin sons are born to the Queen of the Fairies. One son is of human appearance and if full of good (Avatar), where his twin is a mutant and quite evil (Blackwolf). Blackwolf’s misdeeds have him banished from the Fairydom where he swears to get his revenge as he departs. He plans on accomplishing his task by reviving the war machines of old. Avatar is a pacifist and wants nothing to do with war but as his evil brother’s machinations draw Avatar directly into the conflict via assassination attempts, he begins to realize that he cannot escape his destiny.
