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Hype!

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2005

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Hype! is a documentary of the “Seattle scene” of the early 90’s. Grunge was king. I remember wearing flannel shirts and listening to the big three: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. But what about the other bands? Hype! also talks about the lesser-known bands, like the Supersuckers and The Gits. Hype! is an examination of what went on underneath the “hype” of the Seattle music scene. This isn’t some VH1 doc. And it’s not all about Kurt Cobain either. Hype! covers it all, and cre…
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Phase IV

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2005

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Phase IV isnâ€™t a sequel, and it isnâ€™t a remake of the 1974 movie about aliens brainwashing desert ants to wage war over its human desert inhabitants. Those of you looking for that film might be disappointed. Instead, you get this modern action film staring Dean Cain and the Boz, Brian Bosworth. And it ainâ€™t half bad.

Simon Tate (Dean Cain) plays a reporter trying to clear the name of his best friend. The friend is involved in a mysterious death of a scientist. This death is just one in a s…
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Wildboyz – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2005

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At first glance when watching the MTV show Wildboyz with Steve O and the party boy Chris Pontius, one can easily say that some of the Jackass brethren found a nice little niche for themselves, with a nature appreciation show that could be described as National Geographic under the influence of Nyquil.

There is a quality to this show however that makes it worth revisiting several times, more than even Jackass would warrant. At the most basic element, MTV has given these guys a bunch of m…
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Chappelle’s Show – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2005

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Dave Chappelle and I are the same. Well, he’s a year younger than me. And he’s black. But we’re both from Washington DC, but I live in the suburbs, and usually never go into the downtown area unless someone dared me. But he’s a lot funnier than me, and Comedy Central decided to give him a 12 episode commitment on their network after seeing him in such films as Half Baked, Screwed and Undercover Brother.

And quietly, Dave has put together a smart, funny show that everyone instantly dismi…
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South Park – The Complete Fifth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2005

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I must admit that season 5 of South Park was not one of my favorites. I didn’t mind the more permanent death of Kenny. OK, I did mind losing Kenny, but that wasn’t what really brought the series down. It appears that the crudeness found in season 5 has no other purpose than for shock value which in itself is lost on South Park fans. You just can’t shock us anymore.

An episode with a running counter for how often SHIT appears is a perfect indication of how run down things had gotten. Don’t get me wrong. The…
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Shield, The – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 11th, 2005

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It’s hard to imagine that just 10 years ago Steven Bochco stirred up a hornet’s nest with the introduction of NYPD Blue. I say hard to imagine because after just three seasons The Shield has taken commercial TV to heights unimagined by anyone 10 years ago. Vic Mackey doesn’t just rough up suspects. He controls the streets he patrols. He’s not even above killing another cop to keep his thumb on crime in the Barrio district of L.A. Michael Chiklis, once known as the fatherly kind cop on The Commish, has t…
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Alice Through the Looking Glass

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 9th, 2005

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Alice Through the Looking Glass is a 1998 television version of the Lewis Carroll classic. Now this is NOT Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Looking Glassis Carroll’s lesser known follow up. There’s no mad hatter or chasing white rabbits. But there are white queens, talking insects, and discussions of the Jabberwocky. This is a fairly faithful adaptation.

The story is simple. Alice, through her magic mirror, enters Carroll’s world of dream logic and nonsense. Kate Beckinsale (re…
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La Femme Nikita – The Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 9th, 2005

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Synopsis

As with such other series as The X-Files, this is less about single-episode adventuresthan about a long, complex storyline. As a result, I can’t even pretend to understand what the hellis going on here, and so turn the synopsis over to the box copy: “‘You’re one of us now,’Nikita is told. But has she truly abandoned her compassionate nature and become anunquestioning member of the soulless covert organization called Section One? Or has shemastered the group’s knack f…
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Orgazmo

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 8th, 2005

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Synopsis

Director Trey Parker plays Joe Young, a Mormon on a rather losing missionary trip toHollywood. A chance encounter lands him (reluctantly) as the lead in Orgazmo, a pornflick about the titular super-hero. The film becomes a runaway success, and Joe finds himself anunwilling porn superstar. Meanwhile, his co-star in the film has developed a real, workingversion of the hero’s Orgazmarator (or something like that), which causes orgasms at a distance.It is only a matter o…
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Jeremy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 8th, 2005

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Jeremyis an early 70’s film that put Robby Benson on the map (for what that’s worth). Benson was nominated for a Golden Globe for his tender performance as the title character. This is quite an intimate little perforance. Glynnis O’Connor plays Jeremy’s love interest, Susan. O’Connor matches Benson’s truthful performance. The film centers around Susan and Jeremy’s awkward, but authentic, teenage romance.

The film moves along at a snail’s pace. But that’s part of the point. There are no major Romeo…
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MI-5, Volume 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 7th, 2005

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Five discs, ten episodes, one amazing show.

For those that are unaware, MI-5 (or Spooks, as it is called in the UK) is a popular spy series set in London. While some similarities will inevitably be drawn to ABC‘s Alias, MI-5 is an excellent show in its own right. I highly recommend that those that are new to the series start with Season One of the show and work their way up. Starting in the middle of a series cliffhanger is never a good idea, as I learned all-too-late. Of course,…
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Dora the Explorer: Big Sister Dora

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 7th, 2005

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Synopsis

Dora the Explorer is a little girl with plenty of friends (human and otherwise). She invitespre-school viewers to learn basic Spanish and arithmetic with her, along with exploring herworld: her mother is having a baby, her sister is playing soccer, and so on, with Dora helping out.Viewers are encouraged to participate in that Dora addresses them directly, and pauses afterasking questions, waiting for a response. The effect is a bit odd, but maybe the post-Teletubbies…
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Disneymania In Concert

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 5th, 2005

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Synopsis

What we have here is really Disney’s Mouseketeers for the new millennium. Raven, JesseMcCartney, Ashani and the like peform their version of “Colors of the Wind,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” and the like before a screaming studio audience at the California Disneyland Resort. Little“behind-the-scenes” segments are interspersed between the performances. The whole thing isextremely plastic, the songs are utterly bland and obviously lip-synched, and the result is reallynothing more tha…
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Five People You Meet in Heaven, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 5th, 2005

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Synopsis

Jon Voight plays Eddie, known as “Eddie Maintenance,” who keeps things running at an amusement park. When a faulty ride clobbers him, he winds up in Heaven, where he meets, as the title suggests, five people from his past, in five different kinds of Heaven, at each stage learning truths about his life, and how much it mattered, for better or for worse. There are many flashbacks to his early years when he showed promise as a gifted engineer, but was held back by a drunken lout of…
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Coupling – The Complete Fourth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 4th, 2005

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The complete fourth season of the UK’s hit show Coupling arrives on DVD in 6 exciting episodes.

Wait a minute…did I just say “complete season” and “6 episodes” in the same breath? Unfortunately, yes. Now, I can’t really blame the DVD producers; they’re just putting out content that has already been made. Television seasons are short in the UK… what are you going to do? The rumor is that season five has been ordered for production by the BBC, but the show is currently on hiatus, so there is no guarant…
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Porco Rosso

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 3rd, 2005

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Synopsis

The setting is the Adriatic in the 1930s. The hero is a bounty hunter known as Porco Rosso(“The Crimson Pig”), a former Italian seaplane pilot who deserted the post-war military ratherthan join the Fascists, and who, for mysterious reasons, has been cursed to look like a pig. Hemakes his living defending civilians from seaplane pirates, and his activities force the pirates tobring in outside talent: self-obsessed American aviator Curtis. In their first encounter, Porco’seng…
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Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 2nd, 2005

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Synopsis

Over a thousand years in the future, human civilization has largely collapsed. Most of theplanet is consumed by the Sea of Decay, a forest of toxic spores and giant insects. Only a fewhuman outposts remain. The most idyllic of these is the Valley of the Wind, where the peoplehave learned not to be locked in combat with nature. Nausicaa, the princess of the valley, isparticularly in tune with the insects. The peace in the valley is shattered when it is dragged intothe bitter…
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Sweet Valley High — The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 2nd, 2005

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Synopsis

Here you go, 22 episodes of something that feels like a sitcom version of Beverly Hills90210). At the centre of the stories are twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica (Cynthia andBrittany Daniel). Both are gorgeous blondes, but one is shallow, image-obsessed and stuck-up,while the other is bookish and kind. And don’t ask me which one is which; I can’t keep themstraight. Neither can anyone else, which leads to all sorts of misadventures (with ValuableLessons Learned). The…
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Call Northside 777

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 1st, 2005

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Synopsis

Crusty city editor Lee J. Cobb assigns reporter James Stewart to the story of a mother whohas scrubbed floors for eleven years, saving $5000 to offer as a reward for any information thatmight lead to the exoneration of her son, imprisoned in 1932 for shooting a police officer.Initially skeptical, Steward gradually comes to believe that the poor man was, indeed, the victimof a miscarriage of justice. Writing up a storm for the newspaper, he digs deeper and deeper intothe cas…
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American Splendor

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 27th, 2005

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The movie’s tagline is “Ordinary Life is Pretty Complex Stuff.” And the movie itself, with Paul Giamatti (Sideways) as Harvey Pekar, a file clerk at a Cleveland Veterans’ Hospital, is very good. Harvey creates a comic book based on his life, and he and his book hit a stride of popularity, which includes several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. Things manage to take a downturn when he is diagnosed with testicular cancer. So he and his wife Joyce (Hope Davis, About Schmidt) decide to…
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Greatest American Hero – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2005

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Every now and again a show comes along that on the surface probably isn’t that great. Still, something about it endears itself to you, and you might never completely understand it yourself. The Greatest American Hero is one of those shows. Created by the same man who created James Rockford, Stephen Cannell, The Greatest American Hero was a welcome change to the run of hero shows that preceded it. Robert Culp is pure genius as “by the book” FBI agent Bill Maxwell. Connie Sellecca delivers a little more than scenery or…
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Charmed – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 25th, 2005

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There’s gotta be some reason why Charmed has stuck around for as long as it has. What started as a show created by Aaron Spelling, starring Shannon Doherty (Beverly Hills 90210) and goddess to internet pervs everywhere in Alyssa Milano (Embrace of the Vampire) has been a staple in the WB lineup for its 7th season now. Even though the show did have to change out Doherty several seasons ago, replacing her with Rose McGowan, the adventures of the Halliwell sisters are still going strong.

Incident at Loch Ness

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 24th, 2005

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Synopsis

Director Werner Herzog is off to Scotland to shoot a documentary entitled The Enigmaof Loch Ness. This is coinciding with the shoot of a documentary about his life calledWerner in Wonderland. So what we have here is a documentary about the making of adocumentary. Or, more accurately, of a failed doc, since things start going wrong right away,mostly due to producer Zak Penn, who clearly wants something more exciting and sexy than aphilosophical essay on why peo…
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Panic in the Streets

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 22nd, 2005

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Synopsis

Feeling deathly ill, an illegal immigrant leaves a poker game, only to be ambushed andmurdered by three of the other players (the most notable of whom are Zero Mostel and a youngand scary Jack Palance, here appearing as Walter Jack Palance). When his body is found the nextmorning, the victim is discovered to have been sick with pneumonic plague. Doctor RichardWidmark, in charge of public health, takes over, and is initially at loggerheads with DetectivePaul Douglas, who is …
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Agony and the Ecstasy, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 22nd, 2005

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Synopsis

Charlton Heston is Michelangelo, busy at work on the monumental sculptures he proposesfor the tomb of Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison). Julius has other ideas, however, and ordersMichelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which is the last thing the sculptor wantsto do. The film then follows his struggles with the monumental task, as well as the clash ofpersonalities.

There’s more than a whiff of Heston as Michelangelo as Moses, and Harrison as Julius as…
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