Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
Law and Order was never really driven by the actors and their roles. The “ripped from the headlines” stories, along with a decision to avoid the relationship clutter of most cop shows, was the defining edge. Note that not one actor or character from the original series’ first season remains. Criminal Intent is vastly different. Dick Wolf readily admits that the third Law and Order series was intended as a modern day Sherlock Holmes. Vincent D’Onofrio was enticed away from a successful film career by the opportunity to create a unique character. The detail and quirks of his Detective Goren make this a compelling show to watch. Never before in TV has there been such a complicated character, at least not in a primetime drama. If D’Onofrio decides to call it quits, Criminal Intent will not survive as its sister shows have.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
Ben Franklin once said that two things one should never see being made are sausages and laws. So far there haven’t been any pilots occurring in a meat factory. Politics aside, Aaron Sorkin has created a first-rate TV show. The real success here is the casting. I’ve always preached to whoever would listen that its character chemistry that makes for good drama. Star Trek was successful not because of the f/x. The character triumvirate of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy was everything. Sorkin appears to know that lesson. The actors chosen for this show feel like they really have been together for years from the very first episode. Martin Sheen seems to be having the time of his life in what many actors would view as a demotion. As a high school government teacher, I was always impressed with the way subtle facts about American government were blended into the show. It was downright educational at times. The writing is the other star of this powerful drama. It amazes me that a couple of actors walking down halls could be so damn interesting. Truth be told, The West Wing has drifted from its wonderful roots in the last two years. This first year was some of the most compelling TV ever.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
Tim Allan is back as Santa Clause, and this time he is on a mission… to find a wife. The Santa Clause 2 is a good family Christmas tale, and though it is not as effective as its predecessor, it still has Christmas charm and a number of cute scenes. The story is a little flawed, and many scenes rely on childish antics to survive, but those elements add to the family-friendly nature of the film.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
It takes a lot to become a true Christmas classic. Mr. St. Nick just doesn’t have any of it. The story of a reluctant Santa Claus was done with much funnier results in the Tim Allen The Santa Clause films. Kelsey Grammer can be a very fine comedic actor as his stints in Cheers and Frasier have more than proven. The problem here is the material is old and tired and Grammer never seems to be able to decide on a tone for the film. I’m a fan of just simple fun, but this film never really takes me on a good ride. Hallmark has a reputation for good clean family value filmmaking. Mr. St. Nick certainly fits that profile. There just simply isn’t any life here.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
The Tomb Raider film franchise was based on the popular adventure video game. This second Tomb Raider film, however, owes more to Indiana Jones and James Bond than anything else. Cradle of Life does an excellent job of moving along an adventure story. With exotic locations in Africa and China, Lara Croft has plenty of opportunities to show case her Bond-like bag of gadgets. Critics didn’t like this film much, but then again most film critics don’t seem to appreciate a film as a thrill ride. Angelina Jolie keeps the pace and adrenalin pumped up for the entire 2 hours. Sure, some of it is rather silly (The CGI shark scene was downright corny) but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a lot of fun. Jolie isn’t that hard to watch, either.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 21st, 2003
Roy Orbison’s career spanned 5 decades of music. Predominantly a 50’s artist, his catchy ballads became standards in the 60’s and 70’s. By the 90’s ELO master Jeff Lynne used his skills to give Orbison a tremendous comeback and a new modern sound. Orbison sadly passed away during the peak of this newfound fame and never saw the release of his last hit album.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 19th, 2003
Brush With Fate is not a film in any traditional scenes. Based on Susan Vreeland’s novel, “Girl In Hyacinth Blue” this is in reality an anthology of vignettes. The common thread in these stories is that a certain painting is passed down through 300 years. The stories are overly simple. Some of the locations in the Netherlands shot for this film offer the only redeeming quality to be found. Some of the vistas are breathtaking.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 14th, 2003
This 1994 Hallmark film is based on an obscure Truman Capote story. It’s loaded with the usual heavy sentimental trappings of a Hallmark film. The film attempts to create atmosphere through its 1930’s period setting. The trouble is I found it very hard to relate to or care about anyone in the film. The young Buddy appears to have each emotional turn literally forced out of him. Even the lovable Fonz, Henry Winkler, never gets a good foothold on his character. Katherine Hepburn’s age has obviously robbed her of the abilities she has so often displayed in her vast body of work. There are moments reminiscent of the vastly superior A Christmas Story, but this film never approaches that kind of holiday magic.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 13th, 2003
Dick Wolf reinvented the cop drama with the original Law and Order. That flagship program is the longest running drama currently in primetime. There does not seem to be an end in sight. This second version has a bit harder edge; dealing with sex crimes, it was important that the new show didn’t degrade into a “pervert” of the week scenario. The writing is top notch. For me, the addition of Richard Belzer as Homicide’s John Munsch was a stroke of genius. Belzer’s deadpan characterization is a perfect fit for such a sensitive subject. He now holds the record of an actor appearing in 5 TV shows as the same character: Homicide Life On The Street, The X-Files, Oz, Law And Order, and now Law And Order SVU.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 11th, 2003
Everybody has their favorite Looney Tunes character and particular cartoon shorts. That’s the largest obstacle facing Warner Brothers in this ambitious project to restore and release these shorts on DVD. The first collection features 56 all time great shorts plus a ton of extras. If your favorites were not included, take heart. This is only the first of many promised releases. All in all it would take a Dickens’ Scrooge not to find something to love about this collection. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5 or 105, these cartoons have been a vital part of growing up for all of us.
Synopsis
