Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 9th, 2003
It seems that most people have strong opinions when it comes to Ellen DeGeneres. Of course, when you make yourself the first openly gay character on television, those opinions can be expected. Some feel that she is courageous, bravely stepping into the forefront of the gay rights movement. Others feel that her lifestyle is immoral, and that she should be shamed of her actions. Personally, I feel that it is unfortunate that her status as a gay woman is an issue at all. The desire of any true performer should be for th... world to discuss their art, and not their personal life. (Of course, she freely made an issue of her sexuality herself, but I digress.) Simply saying that Ellen is "funny" shortchanges her talents.
Ellen is not just funny, she's smart. Very, very smart. This stand-up performance takes her stream-of-consciousness style of storytelling to a new extreme. Topics segue from one into another at breakneck speed, forcing the listener to simply hang on and enjoy the comic ride. Her theme for this show (which happens to be filled with all-new material) is life in the 21st century, and she captures its nuances and frustrations flawlessly, from cell phone etiquette to news and information overload. Someday, I will be able to show this disc to my children to explain what life was like at the turn of the new century.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 7th, 2003
MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is one of the most memorable TV series ever produced. It was on the air for 11 years (much longer than the Korean War in which it took place). For those of you that have never heard of the show, it followed the trails and tribulations of the 4077th, a battlefield hospital for the American Soldiers in the Korean War. Military settings don’t exactly make one think of a comedy series but it worked. The writing on the show was and still is amongst the best in television history – and ...t had to be. Each week the writers had to deliver an episode that mixed the horrors of war, comedy, and interpersonal relationships that made the viewer care about the characters. And it did. 14 Emmys and 9 People’s choice awards speak for themselves.
The 5th Season added a few twists and turns as Major Frank Burns (Larry Linville) would be written out and Father Francis J. Mulcahy’s character would be expanded to a regular cast member after 4 years of odd appearances here and there.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 28th, 2003
Most fans of the NBA have strong feelings about Allen Iverson. While some feel that he his the most dominant player in the game today, others feel that he is selfish, a player who is more concerned with his own numbers than the welfare of his team. Iverson is usually embroiled in some sort of controversy, and I suspect that he likes it that way. While it is true that his rough image is probably not what the NBA has in mind as a league player, his talent simply cannot be denied.
This hour-long documentary ha... really swayed my opinion of Iverson. I admit, I didn’t really know a lot about him before viewing this piece, except for the fact that he was constantly in some sort of trouble either with the law or with the NBA. This feature, while clearly shining the most positive light on every situation, does a good job of helping to explain his troubles both on the court and off. This is a player who knows that he has made mistakes in the past, and who is willing to do whatever it takes to be a winner in the future.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 27th, 2003
This is not your father's cop show. Even if you’re father watches NYPD Blue.
The Shield may just be the show that puts F/X on the map, if it can stay on the air long enough to do so. This is a series that pushes all the boundaries. It features a level of adult language that is comparable only to South Park, fleeting nudity that rivals that of the previously mentioned NYPD Blue, and violence levels never before seen on a network television series. The weekly plots also push the li...its, with the main character being a crooked cop that is happy to get the bad guys off of the street… as long as it serves his best interests.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 26th, 2003
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG) might best be described as a Movie of Bizarre Moments. Attempting to blend Gothic Batman imagery with an Indiana Jones cast, director Stephen Norrington shows his relative newness to directing. The film is at times awkward and unbalanced, but overall entertaining and visually impressive enough to justify watching.
The Plot: The story of LXG is an interesting one. A band of miscellaneous folk hero’s and mythological urban characters are brought together to f...rm a “Special Forces” commando squad for turn of the century (that is the prior century – 1899) Britain. Their task – prevent the warmongering terrorist activities of the mysterious villain “The Fantom.” Apparently this is all based on a comic book from some number of years ago, and you have to approach the movie ready to acknowledge that it is a fantasy in a more aggressive sense than in Indiana Jones – the laws of physics, the technologies employed, and the existence of some of the characters have to be taken as they are. This plot is Mission Impossible style over-the-top, and by end I was ready for a break from last minute twists.
Posted in: Game Reviews by Archive Authors on November 24th, 2003
The X-Box Music Mixer is undoubtedly one of the most innovative ideas that has come out in the last few years. The emphasis is to turn your X-Box into a multimedia machine that will allow you to turn your living room into a dance club, karaoke bar or a homey environment in which flipping through traditional photo albums is passé because you can display all of your digital photos on your TV accompanied with music of your choosing to set the mood.
It comes packaged with a microphone to allow you to have a tr...e Karaoke experience. The disc itself has 15 Karaoke tracks that range from standard Karaoke fare – Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York to current classics – Lifehouse’s Hanging By A Moment and Len’s Steal My Sunshine. The microphone takes some getting used to as you have to hold it quite close to your mouth to get any sound out of it. That being said, once you get the hang of it, it works really well. The lyrics are displayed on the screen and light up in time to indicate when you are to start demonstrating your vocal expertise. To make the experience better, you can ever record your performances and share them with your fans. You can also import your favorite songs and remove the vocals so that you can improve on the original – but you have to provide your own lyrics. The problem is the vocals really aren’t removed but rather some of the dynamic range is removed to tone down the vocals. However, this also changes the sound of the song itself. To get the true Karaoke experience you can download new songs, at a price, from the Internet. I tried to browse what was offered through X-Box live but consistently got a message that stated “No new content available.” That might be because I’m in Canada and there may be copyright laws or something which precludes me from downloading from the Internet (this is apparently the reason why one can’t download songs from the popular iTunes store from Apple). So I checked out the website – www.xboxkaraoke.com and found to my surprise a huge amount of songs to download. However, be aware that it will cost $2 per song download. As far as karaoke goes despite these setbacks it is still pretty fun.
Posted in: Game Reviews by Archive Authors on November 23rd, 2003
Crimson Skies had a previous incarnation as a cult favorite PC game of the same name and was in development for a port to the X-Box that was being rushed for release 1 year ago. Thank goodness that they waited because you know what they say…”Good things come to those who wait.” And man, was this game worth the wait! The original version was a toned down, arcade style shooter that would have no lasting appeal. This final version is anything but toned down.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 23rd, 2003
So, it’s like a… Space Western?
Having never seen this show, this was the question posed to me by my wife halfway through the pilot episode. Honestly, I wasn’t sure myself. It certainly appeared to be a space western, but the characters were randomly speaking in Chinese. It was drama, yet it was dark humor. This was a truly odd program indeed.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 22nd, 2003
Who wants to see the middle of a movie, anyway? The beginning of the movie introduces the characters and presents the conflict. The ending holds the resolution and the conclusion. But the middle? Who wants to just see the middle? Nobody comes late and leaves early at the Cineplex. Nobody sane, anyway. This is not just any film, though. This is an Epic. Literally everything about this production is huge. The original text of the story was actually so long that it had to be divided into three volumes. The companion fil... is equally as massive. It also covers three volumes, with each volume clocking in at a length much longer than most rational people are willing to tolerate.
Yes, this is a film of Epic proportions, and the Extended Edition DVD is no different. Over 43 minutes of extra footage has been added to The Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers, bringing the total run time to 3 hours, 43 minutes. It's not just filler footage, either. Over 200 new digital effects were created for the DVD release; more than most films have in their original theatrical versions. The added material helps the film instead of hurting it, providing more room to develop characters and plot lines. In this case, more is more.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 19th, 2003
Escape from New York not only made the career of Kurt Russell, and helped to grow the John Carpenter legacy, but has also gain cult status amongst many film fanatics. This film, with its unique plot, and raw style, was the first of its kind… and continues to be a fan favorite 22 years after its theatrical release.
”In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted to a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. But when the U.S. president (Donald Pleasence) crash-lands ...nside, only one man can bring him back: notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero Snake Plissken (Russell). But time is short. In 24 hours, an explosive device implanted in his neck will end Snake’s mission, and his life, unless he succeeds.” – MGM
