Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2005
Stargate Atlantis took a little getting used to. I wasn’t sure the characters had enough chemistry or were even dynamic enough to carry the high expectations for a Stargate series. When the show was first introduced it was likely that Atlantis would soon take over for the original series. Anderson had wanted to leave for years and it seemed the end was near for SG-1. Since that time SG-1 is about to enter a tenth season and the new format is working quite well. Now I can view Atlantis more as the companion show it really excels at being.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2005
Aliens have sent super machines to Earth. The intent is obvious. They want to remove the human infestation and relocate from their own dying world. Independence Day, right? Wrong. Almost 50 years before Rolland and Emerich pitted mankind against killer aliens, George Pal brought us a wonderful interpretation of the famous H.G. Wells novel, War of the Worlds. Although not as faithful to the source material as a Wells fan might have hoped for, Pal created a classic film with groundbreaking f/x for the 1950’s.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 13th, 2005
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...
It was really 1977 and as close as your neighborhood theatre. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Princess Leia captured our imaginations and have never let go. Star Wars has become nothing less than a modern mythology. No one can deny that George Lucas changed how we see films forever. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Star Wars fan or even watch science fiction as a whole. Movie making changed in 1977. Lucas continues to shape the industry with the f/x empire he built on Star Wars.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 10th, 2005
It is tragic that the fourth year of Enterprise would be its last. More tragic is the fact that in the fall of 2005 for the first time in almost 20 years there would be no new Star Trek on the air. By far the worst tragedy, however, was the fact that year four of Enterprise was the year it all came together. This is by far the best overall season of Star Trek since The Next Generation. The addition of writer Many Cuto was the spark this fledgling franchise needed. With the exception of the final episode, these 2-4 eposode arcs were for the most part quite fresh and inspired.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 8th, 2005
The first episode of Season 8 is appropriately titled “New Order”. Changes are inevitable as this superior series goes where no American sci-fi show has gone before, a tenth season. Richard Dean Anderson has been slowly removing himself from the everyday appearances since Season 7. Here he is made base commander, and while his responsibilities have increased, his screen time has certainly tumbled. By year 9 Anderson is nothing more than a memory and occasional guest star. Still... the huge changes haven’t come yet, and season 8 is your last chance to visit this core team on a regular basis.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 3rd, 2005
The extras are the only significant difference between the Collector’s Edition and the near barebones first release of this film. Therefore, some pieces of this review will be taken from the standard release review.
If ever there was a film that was badly misunderstood it is Star Trek: Nemesis. The most common complaint I’ve heard is it was too much like an episode. Excuse me, but isn’t it supposed to be? Nemesis has everything a good Star Trek film should have. The character chemistry, space battle, a morality tale, and terrific f/x.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 30th, 2005
1955 was a very significant year in the life of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. He received his American citizenship and he changed the face of the young television industry forever. Alfred Hitchcock Presents came before all of the other classic anthology shows. The show combined Hitch’s trademark gallows humor with his unerring instinct for suspenseful storytelling. The show was the first overnight success, drawing millions of viewers with its first episode, no small feat for 1955.
Hitchcock was ahead of his time.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 23rd, 2005
Val Lewton produced 9 horror films for RKO back in the 1940’s. His films did not rely on terrible monsters or horrific images. Lewton was a master at atmosphere. Unfortunately these films have mostly been forgotten over the years, The Cat People being perhaps the most recognizable title in the collection. Sadly, this might be more for the lackluster remake in the 1980’s. Truth be told, these films are not really horror films in the usual sense of the genre. In most cases the evil is the product of an all too human hand rather than anything supernatural or fantastic.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2005
Kenny’s gone and most of the season the boys are auditioning a new friend. While it looks like Butter has the inside track, you’ll have to watch the season to find out. Personally I miss the “They killed Kenny” jokes and was relieved that it eventually returned. South Park appeared to regain a bit of its lost creative energy in season 6. It can also be said that the show pushed its boundaries a little bit farther. There are times even I think the show goes too far. One of my favorite episodes can be found in this collection.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2005
First let me begin by admitting a bias. I have always loved this show dearly. Carl Kolchak is partly responsible for you reading these very words. When I was young and The Night Stalker first appeared I was enthralled with it. My father had already introduced me to the Universal Monsters so this was great fodder for my young and developing brain. I immediately knew I wanted to BE Kolchak. I decided I wanted to be a journalist and so began to write. Not only has that passion lasted through the decades since, but thanks to this job I often get to write about monsters and things that go bump in the night.
