Posts by Gino Sassani

Intro

Another Disney Classic gets a Special Edition Release. Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan, but for those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 100 years, here is a synopsis…

Film

Genuinely witty comedies with an idea or two in their heads are rare enough that each one that shows up is cause for celebration. So go ahead. Celebrate.

The most basic rule in Hollywood seems to be that a sequel can never be as good as the original. If you’ve seen enough Police Academy films you know the rule by heart. This rule has been broken with Terminator 2. Not only is it better then the original, it is so much better that it has become “the” Terminator film. It’s no surprise that the DVD would have to be something special right down to a metal cover for the box. This is an ultimate edition that truly lives up to the name, and will make you forget about all previous issues of the film.

Synopsis

There is something rather humorous about the fact that this film, originally firmly in the exploitation genre (this is an American-International picture, produced by Roger Corman after all), should now be released under the “Avant-Garde Cinema” label. Go figure. It is important, however, as Martin Scorsese’s 1972 directorial debut.

Synopsis

Intro

Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin finally gets a DVD re-release with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. It is too bad that the quality of this DVD is so low.

Intro

Columbia-Tristar has re-released To Kill with Intrigue, along with New Fists of Fury and Snake & Crane Arts of Shaolin with a new anamorphic widescreen transfer. To Kill with Intrigue looks better than the other two releases, but still is nothing stellar on DVD.

Intro

It is nice to see one of Jackie Chan’s first films, New Fist of Fury, get re-released with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. Unfortunately, that is the only bonus to this disc.

Intro

It is about damn time that The Empire Strikes Back made it to DVD… oh wait; this is Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, not The Empire Strikes Back (Damn it). Oh well, at least we now have one “Strikes Back” on DVD, and it is a dandy DVD release.

“You will believe a man can fly” was the promise on a movie poster that tempted this teenager into the brand new multiplex to see Superman - The Movie. Did the film deliver? Let’s just say there were no lawsuits for breech of contract. What teenage kid could help but be swept into the air with Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. Brando had also been a hero of mine and who better to play Superman’s dad than the Godfather himself. No film had to that point ever accomplished the feat of putting a human in flight that rivals the abilities of today’s digital effects. Hell yes, I believe a man can fly.

Ok do I really need to tell this story? Here’s a brief layout for anyone who flunked comic books 101 in school…

“Can you summon your talent at will?” This is a question from Satan himself in the The Devil’s Advocate. For Al Pacino I would say the answer is a resounding yes. Pacino has been making us offers we just couldn’t refuse for 30 years. Just a list of his exceptional films would require more space than I have here. You’ll find this film to be one of his more underrated gems.

Synopsis