Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 21st, 2004
Synopsis
A powerful bomb explodes in downtown LA law office. The authorities suspect terrorism,but former FBI agent (now officer for the Bureau of Postal Investigation) Randall Batkinkoff hashis doubts. Politics interferes with his investigation, but he gradually becomes involved asanother bomb goes off. Evidence points to violent survivalist, but is he really the right man?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 19th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 17th, 2004
I am sure that many consumers have noticed the disturbing trend taking place in DVD land with regard to the same movie being released in multiple versions. This practice, commonly referred to in the industry as “multiple bites at the apple”, is a cheap way for studios to persuade consumers to buy movies that they already own over and over again, since each new release offers some sort of extra upgrade from the previous versions. Even those of us in the DVD community sometimes get burned on this type of thing, as ther... is not always a way to tell if we should purchase a product when it is new, or wait for a few years, in the hopes that a better version will come along. Adding to the frustration is the fact that on some occasions, versions are so different that consumers actually want to own multiple versions of a film. This is the case with the Lord of the Rings films, as the extended editions are quite different from their theatrical counterparts. Arguably, the upcoming Kill Bill releases will merit this kind of double purchasing as well.
Das Boot is also one of those films that has fallen victim to the practice of multiple releases. Originally, the film was released in a standard American theatrical version. It became such a hit with movie buffs, however, that an extended Director’s Cut was issued as well. Following this release, a separate Superbit edition of the Director’s Cut hit the shelves. All versions sold well, and the legend of Wolfgang Peterson’s epic film about a German submarine crew during World War II continued to grow. As more and more people saw this film, word started to circulate about the existence of a massive five-hour version of the film. Being a town that never misses a chance to make a buck, Hollywood listened to the ramblings, and in 2004, the complete epic was finally released on DVD.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 16th, 2004
The mid-nineties Fox Spider-Man was hands down the best animated series of the time. It was one of the first series to use a Japanese animation company to produce a regular Saturday morning series and the Japanese influence was immediately striking. The brightness and depth of colors as well as the consistency of the animation blew away everything else that was available on TV at the time. The stories were outstanding in that they borrowed heavily from classic comic stories and adapted them for viewers that may not b... as familiar with the Spider-Man mythos as us comic book geeks (I’ve been buying Spider-Man comics for about 25 years now…I guess I qualify as a comic book geek…oh well…). With the theme music done by none other than Aerosmith’s guitar god Joe Perry, this series rocked right from the intro.
So with that intro…how could Marvel and Buena Vista mess up this DVD so much?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 15th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 14th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 11th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 11th, 2004
Season three of Voyager was the most exciting so far. This is the year Q, one of Star Trek’s most beloved characters, adds Janeway to his list of captains to pester. The powerful Borg would also enter Voyager’s universe in Season three. The year would end with a cliffhanger that also introduces 7 of 9 to the cast. This was Kes’s final year. There’s no question that the show’s dynamics went from stun to kill. Episodes became a bit more standalone. The long overdone Kazon arc would be abandoned for more compelling dram.... George Takei appeared in a Voyager/Star Trek VI crossover episode that puts Tuvok on Sulu’s ship during the events of the final Original Cast film.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 9th, 2004
Synopsis
Casper Van Dien and Robert Englund stage a daring casino robbery on the resort island ofSandbridge. (Where does Van Dien get his helicopter from? Don’t ask.) As we move fromfull night to mid-afternoon in a matter of minutes, our affable criminals are pursued at high speedand finally caught by security chief Gregg Henry (doing his clench-jawed villainy familiar fromPayback, and lifted from Gary Busey). Casino owner Ray Wise (Leland Palmer fromTwin Peaks) gives Van Dien...and Englund another chance and hires them as security. Helater tells Van Dien that he suspects Henry is, in fact, untrustworthy. His suspicions prove well-founded. Meanwhile, a powerful hurricane is heading for the island.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 7th, 2004
Sometimes, I just don’t know where to begin with these reviews. There are bad movies, there are really bad movies, and then there are movies such as this. When it comes to DVD, extremely bad comedies are the lowest of the low. Bad dramas, horror films or love stories are usually only bad because they are tired and predictable. While that doesn’t make them any less annoying, at least they are comfortable. A bad comedy, however, goes beyond those other annoyances and creates something that is truly uncomfortable. It’s ...ot just a poorly-made film, but it actually makes the viewer groan at how bad it is. This is an all-new level of suckage.
The plot of this bad movie is a simple one (of course); Mexicans throw a party. That’s about it. Oh, and there are “hot girls” (the majority of whom are not hot at all) that sometimes take their tops off for no apparent reason. There’s hardly enough material here to make a full movie. (In fact, as an interesting side note, the box lists the running time of the movie at 90 minutes, but a screening revealed that the time is actually closer to 70.)
