Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 22nd, 2004
Synopsis
During the German occupation of Holland, two Jewish families take refuge in an Amsterdamattic. After some months, they are joined by a dentist. The tensions and friendships ebb and flowin this confined space, and the two-year period is chronicled in her diary by Anne, who is thirteenwhen the hiding beings.
Given that the film is scripted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, from their Broadwayplay, and the film’s locations are essentially limited to this one set,...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 21st, 2004
Synopsis
Kate Hudson arrives in Paris to visit sister Naomi Watts. Hudson is the drifter, while Watts,the poet married to the painter, appears to be the success story. But Hudson arrives just as Watts'husband walks out on wife and daughter. While trying to be the supportive sister, Hudsonmeanwhile falls into an affair with one of Watts' married in-laws.
As with all Merchant-Ivory films, this looks great, in terms of both cast and scenery. Butthere's a rather stilled, coffee-...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 21st, 2004
Synopsis
Daryl Hannah plays CJ, a world-weary hired assassin. She wants out of the life, but hercurrent job goes awry when the drugs she is suppossed to recover for mob boss Alex Rocco gomissing. They have wound up in the hands of nervous Brad Renfro and his very pregantgirlfriend, Dominique Swain. CJ finds it difficult to kill these two young people, and this gets herinto trouble herself. Meanwhile, she begins to succumb to the overtures of a former priest (EricMabius), who wants a...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 20th, 2004
Synopsis
Oh, give me a break. You want a plot synopsis for softcore 3-D porn? Fine, then. There issome incomprehensible gibberish about a crook the police are trying to nail, and the club ownercaught in the middle, who also suffers from impotence and is in love with the crook’s girl. Andthere’s a psychiatrist who keeps materializing out of thin air. There. That good enough forya? As for the sex, wake me up when it’s over.
Audio
Thin, reedy mono, but less background ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 20th, 2004
Synopsis
Richard Harris is Oliver Cromwell, reluctant revolutionary, every more reluctant dictator.Alec Guinness is Charles I, the King of England who is given very bad advice, but makes somestupid decisions all on his own. The English Civil War is played out for us, with a cast offamiliar faces (Robert Morley, Timothy Dalton, Charles Gray, etc. etc.) and some prettyimpressive battle scenes. (Though those of you fresh from a screening of The Return of theKing should please re...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 16th, 2004
Synopsis
The film is also known as Black Lolita because it’s protagonist (Yolanda Love) isnamed Lolita, and not because she’s underage. On the contrary, this Lolita is a karate-choppinghellion, like a downscale version of Cleopatra Jones. After her uncle is murdered by the mob, ourheroine determines to take revenge. She hooks up with centerfolds Serena and Susan Ayers andpresto: a more explicit version of Charlie’s Angels. Approached in the right frame ofmind (i.e. you...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2004
Synopsis
The format is familiar (as is pointed out by the series creator): this is a “precinct” show. Onlyinstead of cops, we’re dealing with spies, who fight against threats to Great Britain, whilejuggling complicated personal lives. Given the combination of ensemble cast, investigations, andsnazzy, futuristic look of the MI-5 headquarters, you might want to imagine a cross betweenNYPD Blue and La Femme Nikita. The performances are strong, the productionvalues are hig...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2004
Synopsis
After five months in space, the crew of Ironman One (Richard Crenna, James Franciscus andGene Hackman) are returning to Earth when their ship’s retrorockets do not fire. They aretrapped in orbit, with only 42 hours of oxygen. Back on Earth, NASA chief Gregory Peck at firstsees no way of saving them, but at the urging of David Janssen, a Hail Mary rescue attempt isput together. The problem: the soonest the rescue ship can arrive is in 42 hours. And there’s ahurricane closing...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2004
Synopsis
This is pretty redundant, I know. If you don’t know what Cheers is about, you won’tstart watching it now. Anyway, Sam and Diane are having an affair, Norm is out of work, Carla’sex-husband (Dan Hedaya) resurfaces, and so on. Definitely a sitcom whose ensemble approachwas a real strength, and backed up by consistently witty writing.
Audio
The audio is 2.0, and is crisper than most people would have heard it back in 1983-4. Thereis a definite s...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2004
Synopsis
Evan Rachel Wood plays Tracy. As our tale begins, the 13-year-old is still on good terms with her mum (Holly Hunter), and is very much one of the nice girls in junior high. In that environment, you get devoured, and it isn’t long before she resorts to theft to befriend the popular Evie (co-writer Nikki Reed). Cue the rapid descent into crime, sex and drugs.
These are the teen years as chronicled from the lower circles of Hell. The handheld camera matches the high energy...
