Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 21st, 2002
Al Pacino started his career with The Godfather, but Serpico went a long way to introducing filmgoers to the raw talent he still possesses. Based on the true story of an officer’s lone fight against corruption in the New York City PD, Serpico is gritty and almost documentary-like in style. Sydney Lumet’s stylized direction would create a template that countless future cop films continue to emulate. A credit to Lumet’s ability to spot talent rests in the fact that this was considered largely a cast of unknowns.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2002
Synopsis
Kevin Bacon is a high-rolling stock trader. When he screws up and loses it all, he becomes(naturally) a gifted bicycle messenger, and so rebuilds his confidence. Many bike tricks and GiorgioMoroder songs ensue. Dire.
Audio
The 2.0 mix gets off to a strong start, with a truly impressive street environment simulatedduring the opening credits. Thereafter, however, the FX are pretty minimal, and take a back seatto the endless, horrible 80's soundtrack. ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 18th, 2002
Synopsis
On an unnamed planet hundreds of years in the future, two cities -- Brecca and Obsidian --have been at war for almost a century. They are but shattered remnants of their former selves,and the war carries on pointlessly. The governing general of Brecca leads a small expedition toObsidian on a quest that might finally bring the war to an end. The film has some of the post-apocalypse-on-a-budget feel of Albert Pyun epics (the Nemesis series) or stuff like CircuitryMan. This b...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 17th, 2002
Synopsis
A couple and their young son are driving to their vacation home in the Catskills. They hita deer on the highway, accidentally ticking off one of the hunters, whose elevator doesn’t go allthe way to the penthouse, if you know what I mean. The boy, already on edge from the death ofthe deer and the lurking menace of the hunter, also begins to have visions of the hungry spiritWendigo. Whether the supernatural events are real or imagined is left ambiguous, as in The Turnof the S...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 17th, 2002
Synopsis
Dougray Scott plays Tom Jericho, brilliant but psychologically fragile code-breaker. He wasinstrumental in cracking the German Enigma code, and is needed again, since the code haschanged. He is still trying to put himself back together after a wrenching relationship with theglamorous Saffron Burrows, who has disappeared. As he works on Enigma, Scott also getsinvolved with Kate Winslet. The two of them try to solve the mystery of Burrows’ disappearance.The intelligent script...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 8th, 2002
Synopsis
Charlotte Gainsbourg plays film star Charlotte. Her husband Yvan Attal (who also wrote anddirected the film) plays Charlotte’s husband Yvan. So far so postmodern. Yvan becomes jealousin this slight but engaging comedy when Charlotte’s next role has her co-starring with anotoriously sexy British actor (Terence Stamp).
Audio
Very solid soundtrack, though limited to 2.0. The music sounds fine, and the sound effects,though low key, are enough to create ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 6th, 2002
Synopsis
Robert De Niro is Rupert Pupkin, supreme loser. He has delusions of greatness, andconstantly fantasizes he has a wonderful friendship with talk show host Jerry Langford (JerryLewis, superb). Pupkin is determined to get his moment in the limelight, and he will stop atnothing, not even kidnapping, to make sure he gets what’s coming to him. Along for the ride issimilarly obsessed (and grotesque) fan Sandra Bernhard. Look out. Incredibly smart, incrediblyfunny, incredibly uncom...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 6th, 2002
Synopsis
The setting is the imaginary Florida town of Delrona Beach. It isn’t the most attractive placein the world, and there are rival developers moving in, each with their own ideas on how theplace should be bought and remade. Some of the characters, such as Marly (Edie Falco) needto escape. Others, like Desiree (Angela Bassett) are, on the contrary, returning to their roots. Thescript is low-key and finely tuned, building toward small epiphanies. The characters are nicelyfleshed...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 1st, 2002
Men in Black was a landmark film that almost came out of nowhere. Tom Baker’s standard setting makeup effects combined with the Lethal Weapon-like chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made it one of the best simple entertainment films in recent memory. The problem with a sequel is you aren’t going to sneak up on an innocent audience. Expectations are high and this film does not meet those high expectations. With that said, however, it really is an entertaining film. All the great elements from the original film are here: Frank the Pug is much more involved, Tony Shalhoub’s Jeebs is still loosing his head over the MIB, and The Practice’s Lara Flynn Boyle is a far more attractive bad guy … eh girl ... eh something.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 28th, 2002
Synopsis
Two young children move to a new house with their father. Their mother is in the hospital,but they are hopeful she is getting better. In the garden, they have access to a magical world ofspirit creatures. This is a gentle, warm work, with the same delight in the fantastic as is present inPrincess Mononoke and Spirited Away (though unlike those films, this one can be enjoyed evenby very young children). Sweet but never cloying, moving but never saccharine, funny, andfrequent...
