Dolby Digital 2.0 (English)

Four Feathers, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 22nd, 2003

Synopsis

Harry Feversham (Heath Ledger) appears quite comfortable with his life as a soldier, andhe is about to be engaged to Kate Hudson, so life is good. But then his garrison is assigned toquell an uprising in the Sudan, and Harry is frightened. He resigns his commission. His friends,feeling betrayed, send him the white feathers of cowardice. Shamed, Harry follows themincognito to the Sudan, and his presence turns out to be crucial to their fates. In many ways athrowback to such …
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Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 22nd, 2003

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Synopsis

Gene Tierney is Mrs. Muir, a young widow at the turn of the 20th Century, who has hadenough of her overbearing in-laws. She moves to the coast, falling in love with a cottage thatturns out to be haunted by Rex Harrison, a crusty sea captain. The two strong wills clash initially,but soon develop a real affection for each other. Directed by All About Eve’s JosephMankiewicz, this low-key romance is affecting and witty, and the black-and-whitecinematography is gorgeous. The per…
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Dream for an Insomniac

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 17th, 2003

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Synopsis

Ione Skye is Frankie (named after Frank Sinatra, the patron saint of her family). She is achronic insomniac, and is unable to find a man who meets her high standards (why any rationalmale wouldn’t run screaming from this scary neurotic, however, is as mysterious as the fact thatthat geek always winds up with the babe in male-centred romances). Into her life walksMackenzie Astin, who has the necessary blue Sinatra eyes (which is also the cue for the film toshift from black-a…
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Kingston High, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2003

Synopsis

Sketch (Jeramie Gladman) is artistic and sensitive. He doesn’t want to have anything to dowith his buddies’ obsessive quest to lose their virginity on prom night. Nevertheless, he getsroped into a bet to do just that. Misadventures ensue. A very independent film, whose low-budgetquirks and likeable central character keep threatening to make it transcend the morass of itsgenre.

Audio

Box claims to the contrary, the audio tracks come in both 5.1 and 2…
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Sol Goode

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2003

Synopsis

Balthazar Getty is Sol Goode, charming campus rogue unable, as his best friend Chloë(Katharine Towne) says, to commit to a relationship for longer than 20 minutes. The hijinks can’tlast forever, though, and as Sol matures, he realizes he’s fallen in love. No points for guessingwho with. The direct-to-camera asides make this the college version of Malcolm in theMiddle.

Audio

The 2.0 mix is solid, if unspectacular. It is certainly crisp and clear, and…
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Redeemer

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2003

Synopsis

Matthew Modine, somewhat down on his luck as a writer, takes a job as a creative writinginstructor in a prison. He suspects a particularly bright student has been kept in prison unjustly.This man also wants to make amends with the sister of the man for whose murder he has beenheld responsible. Wouldn’t you know it, redemption is a two-way street as Modine finds newpurpose in life too. Ordinary, but competent TV drama.

Audio

The music is good, there …
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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 10th, 2003

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Star Trek: The Motion Picture is considered a failure not because it was a bad film, but because it just didn’t feel at all like Star Trek. Star Trek IV is perhaps the most Star Trek of all the films. A mixture of saving planet Earth with a social message, humor, and a strong character chemistry has always been Roddenberry’s dream at its very best. There’s no question that of all the Trek films this is the most enjoyable even if you’re not really a fan.

MTV – Real World You Never Saw: Las Vegas

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2003

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I’ve got a confession. I just don’t get it. The Real World lays claim to being one of the first “reality” shows, dating back almost ten years. If you get off on watching a group of 7 twenty-somethings pretending to be spontaneous while basically either making out or grossing out, then this DVD is for you. This particular version is a season that was deemed too “hot” for broadcast TV so never appeared on MTV.

Claudine

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 8th, 2003

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When this movie first came out in 1974 I think it probably caused a stir and was maybe even labeled “controversial”. We have the story of Claudine (played by Diahann Carroll) a struggling Harlem mother with 6 children to support; she collects welfare and works under the table on the side as a maid for a wealthy family. She meets a charming garbage man named Roop (James Earl Jones, much younger and thinner then I have ever seen him) who is struggling with his own life trials which makes him slow to respond to her invi…
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Sugar Hill

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2003

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Let me admit from the start I have an almost pathological fear of needles. This means I watched several minutes of this film with my eyes closed. If you share the phobia this is not a DVD for you. Sugar Hill has a lot of unfulfilled potential. The acting is mostly first rate and the story is often compelling. The producers mucked it up with too many Godfather clichés from the “I’m your older brother and I was stepped over” to Snipes coming of age at a baptism. Even AbeVigoda shows us what Tessio would have turned into if he hadn’t taken that “ride”.

Savage Boys

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2003

Synopsis

Imprisoned for the revenge killing of the man who murdered his parents, Calvin Jung isreleased after 25 years. He returns home to discover that his younger brother (Eddie Mui) is nowworking for a Chinese crime lord. This is a film that doesn’t reach the lofty heights it aims for,but does work an interesting social angle to the usual crime film.

Audio

The sound (2.0, as far as I can tell) is pretty good. The music comes through very nicely. Thesound …
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On the Run

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 4th, 2003

Synopsis

Albert is not a people person. He doesn’t enjoy his job as a travel agent, doesn’t travelhimself, and doesn’t want to go out. All he wants to do is stay at home and be left alone.Unfortunately, his childhood friend Louis, who was always good at getting him into trouble,breaks out of prison two weeks before his sentence is up, and calls up Albert, dragging himwilly-nilly into After Hours-style misadventures.

Audio

The sound (in a 2.0 mix, from all av…
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Auteur Theory, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 3rd, 2003

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Synopsis

George Sand is a documentary filmmaker, and quite conceited about the fact. He comes tothe US from the UK to shoot a documentary about the 2nd Mike Wong Film Festival. Curiously,all of the competitors at the festival, each of which worked on Wong’s last movie before he died,start being murdered one by one. Sand decides to uncover the murderer. This is a cheerfully sillylow-budget film, loaded with hilarious send-ups of student films. The sense of the absurd isnicely underst…
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Gentleman Bandit, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2003

Synopsis

Brooklyn-to-the-core thief Nick (Charlie Mattera) is betrayed by his friend Manny (PeterGreene), who is jealous of his love with Maria (Justine Miceli). Released from prison years later,Nick moves to LA, where he re-connects with Maria. Maria had married Manny (who is nowa brutal cop), but the two have since split. Nick is also taken under the wing of Harry (EdLauter), an aging gentleman bandit, who trains Nick to be a more elegant criminal than he hasbeen until now. The fi…
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Eighteenth Angel, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2003

Synopsis

An ancient clock is has almost finished its countdown to the return of Lucifer to Earth.Helping out is a cult led by an over-the-top Maximilian Schell. Schell and company have theireyes set on Rachael Leigh Cook as the vessel who will facilitate the devil’s return. What youhave here is recycled Omen crossed with Rosemary’s Baby, and a bit of cloning thrown in forgood measure. We’ve been here before, in much more elaborate films. Still, the film is ratherengaging in its very…
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Glory Daze

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 26th, 2003

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I doubt the makers of the current Daredevil film took one look at Glory Daze and said, “We’ve got to have that guy.” Glory Daze is a mindless romp through the last weeks of a group of frat-like college students. If you’re interested in plots, solid acting, and quality cinematography, this really isn’t your film. If, however, a cheap imitation of Animal House sounds like a good way to spend an hour and a half, look no further.
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Sunrise

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 26th, 2003

Synopsis

A city vamp seduces a country man and convinces him to kill his wife. At the moment heis about to commit the crime, he finds he cannot go through with it. We then follow the husbandand wife through the course of their reconciliation. Put this way, the film sounds flat and boring,but the poetry of its simplicity, imagery and performances is overwhelming. (There’s a stormsequence that must be one of the greatest storms in the movies.) This is emphatically one of thegreat clas…
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Stargate

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2003

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Why is there yet another DVD of Stargate? This time it really is an improvement. The Ultimate Edition contains a director’s cut which is about 16 minutes longer than the original. If you like the original better, a second disc is included which contains the original cut. This was Devlin and Emmerich’s first real blockbuster. I found Independence Day and The Patriot to be better films, but Stargate has its moments. It’s a little hard for me to accept Kurt Russell as Jack O’Neal after 7 years of Richard Dean Anderson.
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Journey to the Center of the Earth

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2003

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Synopsis

Irascible Scottish scientist James Mason discovers evidence that an explorer made thejourney of the title. Determined to do likewise, Mason sets off for Iceland (there to descend avolcanic crater that will lead to the centre of the Earth) in the company of Pat Boone (whoseaccent must be heard to be believed). Along the way, they are joined by feisty widow ArleneDahl and towering Icelander Peter Ronson. They are not alone in their journey, however, andthey must confront huma…
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Day The Earth Stood Still, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 23rd, 2003

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Synopsis

A flying saucer lands in Washington, causing widespread paranoia. Emerging from thesaucer are the ominous robot Gort, and the human-looking Klaatu (Michael Rennie). Klaatucomes with a warning for Earth (get your act together or be wiped out), but he will speak only torepresentatives from all nations. This turns out to be a difficult proposition. Klaatu escapes fromthe authorities and blends in with the population as he learns about humans. The questionbecomes whether he wil…
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Of Mice and Men

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 23rd, 2003

Synopsis

Gary Sinise (who also produced and directed) is George, the smart one. John Malkovich (in arole light years from his usual creepy venom) is Lennie, child-like but enormously strong. Thetwo best friends wander Depression-era California, looking for work. They find what seems likea long-term gig at the Tyler Ranch, but trouble rears its head in the form of the unhappy SherilynFenn, trapped in an abusive marriage. It isn’t long before everything goes to hell.

Audio< ...
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Taboo

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 23rd, 2003

Film

Let’s at least give the filmmakers credit for getting right to the point. Unfortunately you’ll spend the next 80 minutes or so wishing they hadn’t. The film is full of enough plot holes to pilot a starship through (one of the big ones). You get the sense right away that the characters really can’t stand each other, but then you’re expected to believe that one year after pissing each other off they’re going to get together for an intimate New Year’s Eve gathering. There’s an obvious attempt at th…
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Road House

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 23rd, 2003

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Road House is one long bar brawl interrupted occasionally by a thread of a plot line. Patrick Swayze is the offered marquee name, but better performances can be found from Ben Gazzara, best known for his portrayal of Al Capone, Sam Elliott, and even Kevin Tigue. The music is the only thing that keeps this one interesting. Jeff Healey stars as the bar’s regular musician and treats us to some of his best music.

Synopsis

Daulton (Swayze) is hired to clean up a rowdy redneck bar.
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Wannabes

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 18th, 2003

Synopsis

Angelo’s the good brother, Paulie’s the bad boy. Fed up with waiting tables, Paulieconvinces Angelo and two friends to get into the bookie business. After a few missteps, businessbecomes good. Then it gets very good. Then they hook up with local don, Santo, who issaddled with an extremely volatile son, Vinnie. You can probably guess where all this isheading, and there are certainly no real surprises here. The clearest sign that we’re on familiarterritory is Vinnie, a clone …
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Asunder

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 16th, 2003

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Synopsis

After a freak Ferris wheel accident kills his pregnant wife, Chance (Blair Underwood) istaken in by best friends Michael (Michael Beach) and Lauren (Debbi Morgan), friends whosemarriage is already shaky. The thing is, Chance and Lauren previously had an affair, somethingthat wracks Lauren with guilty, but that Chance is increasingly obsessed with reviving.Gradually, things go from bad to worse. Too gradually, in fact: we’re almost 45 minutes in beforethe thriller angle begi…
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