Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 3rd, 2002
It’s one of the oldest childhood nightmares: your parents die, and evil guardians take over your life. The story has been told by countless fairy tales. The Glass House transposes the tale to contemporary California.
When Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and Rhett (Trevor Morgan) are orphaned, they are taken into the care of Terry and Erin Glass (Stellan Skarsgård and Diane Lane). This couple seems to good to be true, and, of course, they are. Erin is a junkie, and Terry is in hock to the mob.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 26th, 2001
Intro
A recent effort from director Nagisa Oshima, perhaps best known for In the Realm of the Sense, Taboo continues his elegant exploration of sexuality and dangerous passions.
Synopsis
Imagine a samurai version of Death in Venice, and you have some sense of Taboo. The year is 1865, and a militia has two new recruits. One of them, Kano, is decidedly adrogynous, and the other recruit, Tashiro, promptly falls in love with him. As time goes on, more and more members of the militia fall u...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 15th, 2001
Intro
Ouch… this movie carried such high expectations that its failure on so many levels came as a major disappointment. After such remarkably entertaining schlock-horror epics (and legitimate cinematic masterpieces) as “Hallowe’en,” “ In the Mouth of Madness,” and “Escape from New York,” “Ghosts of Mars (GoM)” came of as a...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 9th, 2001
Intro
Mean-spirited. Nasty. Spiteful. Evil. All words that apply to this comedy. And they’re compliments.
Synopsis
Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas are Barbara and Oliver Rose. They’ve had seventeen wonderful years together. But their marriage collapses. Their hatred for each other emerges, and a tit for tat battle erupts, each indignity that one inflicts on the other inviting greater retaliation. The war escalates into a total domestic Armageddon. This is uncompromising black comed...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 1st, 2001
Intro
This quirky little Christmas film will really put the holidays into perspective for you. The cast of Mixed Nuts contains a who’s who of comedy… Steve Martin, Gary Shandling, Adam Sandler, Rob Reiner, Rita Wilson, Etc. This is not the best Holiday comedy ever made, but it should bake you chuckle.
Synopsis
Funnyman Steve Martin leads an all-star cast in this cracked-up comedy about a suicide hotline where the only people crazier than the clients are the ones answering the ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 30th, 2001
Gary Sinise (who also produced and directed) is George, the smart one. John Malkovich (in a role light years from his usual creepy venom) is Lennie, child-like but enormously strong. The two 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 Sherilyn Fenn, trapped in an abusive marriage. It isn’t long before everything goes to hell.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2001
Intro
Once a franchise is launched, it seems, it is by definition unstoppable, even when, as is the case for this series of films involving a large St. Bernard, the franchise has moved into the direct-to-video realm.
Synopsis
Beethoven, with his slobbery, chaotic ways, is making life impossible for the Newton family. He is thus packed off to obedience school. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Michelangelo, the impeccably behaved St. Bernard owned by the impossibly rich Sedgwicks. The Sed...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 13th, 2001
Posted in Disc Reviews by Carly Peters
The season 4 collection of the X-Files comes in a seven disc package chock full of special features. Season four had some of the most talked about episodes in the X-Files brief history. Featured in this collection is “Home”, an episode that only aired once due to the undertones of incest in the plot, and has been banned from the re-run rotation. Other episodes include “Musings of the Cigarette Smoking Man”, a subplot that follows the life of young Cancer Man, who took part in some of the worlds most histo...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 1st, 2001
Intro
In terms of Box Sets, HBO has impressed with the Sopranos DVD Collection. Season One was a pure treat on DVD. From the packaging, the layout, the quality, and the content, the First Season was a beautiful DVD release. HBO has pleased again with the release of Season Two. The quality standards have remained impeccable, and the content is as good as ever…
Synopsis
“In its second season, The Sopranos sustains the edgy intelligence and unpredictable, genre-warping narrative moment...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 22nd, 2001
Intro
We’re all pretty familiar with Demi Moore shorn of hair in GI Jane. But do you remember her with a blonde wig? No? Time to refresh your memory.
Synopsis
Moore is Marina, a fay North Carolina clairvoyant who has been waiting by the sea for her True Love. When, according to the signs, he shows up (or so she thinks) he does so in the round person of Leo Lemke (George Dzundza). Marina is a little thrown, but decides that fate is fate, and promptly marries him and moves to Greenwich V...
