Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 16th, 2007
I can't say I'm too familiar with The Last Unicorn, I mean overall, animated children's films were in the midst of a decline in the '80s. However my wife was more than familiar with it and enjoyed it a lot growing up. And Lion's Gate has presumably cleaned up the film and thrown some extras on it just in time for the film's 25th anniversary.
Based on a novel by Peter Beagle and directed by the animation team of Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin (who helped produced such shows as the stop motion of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Hobbit animated version back in the '60s and '70s), the unicorn in question is named, well, Unicorn (voiced by Mia Farrow, The Omen), who walks around rather peacefully in the countryside. She is captured by a witch and is released by her assistant named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine). So when Schmendrick and Unicorn are threatened by an ominous red bull, he turns her into a mortal named Amalthea, who finds love by Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges, Tron) and finds out why she was the last unicorn from King Haggard (Christopher Lee, The Lord of the Rings).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2007
At one point or another you�ve either seen Ghost, or have seen some of its memorable scenes parodied. Paramount is now releasing a new special collector�s edition of the 1990 Academy Award winning picture. Since then, star Patrick Swayze hasn�t really been up to much besides a Ja Rule video and a small role in Donnie Darko. Whether Demi Moore has seen success since this film is debatable, but for a while there in 1990 these two were the talk of the town. At the time I was too young to have any interest in the film, so prior to this review all I knew were the memorable clips I�d seen. I looked forward to finally viewing the entire film.
Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) are just your average happy couple living out their lives in New York City. Sam appears to have a problem expressing his feelings for Molly, only saying �ditto� when she tells him �I love you.� Apart from this obvious minor hindrance on the relationship, the two seem genuinely happy. That is until one night while walking back from the theatre the couple is mugged, Sam puts up a fight and is shot and killed. His soul doesn�t realize this and chases down the thief. When he returns to the scene, he realizes what has transpired but he doesn�t accept it and refuses to be taken by the light, leaving him on earth as a ghost. Sam follows the thief home and eventually finds out that none other than Sam�s best friend and co-worker Carl Bruner in fact planned his murder. Frustrated and feeling helpless, Sam enlists the help of the fraudulent medium Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), who appears to be the only one who can hear him. Through her, Sam contacts Molly and tries to remedy the situation, but things get out of control and quick.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2007
No matter where you grew up or what books you�ve read, you have undoubtedly come across the workings of William Shakespeare, and especially his Romeo and Juliet. This film takes the dialogue from the original play pretty much word for word but depicts it in a more modern time, with, of course, then-teen heart throbs Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as our star-crossed lovers.
Instead of swords and castles, there are guns and skyscrapers. The famous opening argument with Benvolio, Tybalt and Mercuteo is a public firefight that kicks off the film. For the few of you who are unfamiliar with Romeo and Juliet, it�s a love story about two young people who are forbidden to love each other because of their families. For as long as anyone can remember, the Capulets and Montagues have shared a mutual hatred for one another. Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, meet and share a passionate love for one another but are forever bound to secrecy as no one in either family could accept this love connection � the hate runs too deep. The story deals with the tribulations of love in the midst of hate, and the couple�s eventual decline.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2007
I�ve been anticipating the release of Harsh Times for quite a while now, never being able to catch it in the theatre, I finally got the chance to check it out. Christian Bale is by now known for his versatility and wide range of playable characters; Harsh Times offers another committed and deep portrayal to his resume. Bale plays ex-ranger Jim Davis who is back in Los Angeles after a 6-year tour. He is trying to land a job with the LAPD so he can marry his Mexican sweetheart and have her live in America. Only things don�t go as planned and the LAPD turn him down sending Jim into an uncontrollable rage and has him craving all things illegal. Riding shotgun for the whole adventure is his best friend Mike Alonzo (Freddy Rodriguez), a nearly completely reformed ex-con. Dealing with problems of his own, particularly his girlfriend Sylvia (Eva Longoria), Mike sets out daily to find work but instead finds himself running the streets with Jim. Before things get worse there is hope yet as The Department of Homeland Security calls up Jim where he hopes to land a job. Soon the two aspects of his life have to find balance as things start spinning out of control for the two best friends, will it end with everyone back on the right track, or in blood?
Simply put Harsh Times is a great movie, some great performances and a story I�ve never seen done before. Bale�s character was so conflicted it was hard to predict his next move and what he was really capable of, then to counter that was the equally impressive performance of Freddy Rodriguez as the mellow cool headed one of the group. This movie takes turns down places you wouldn�t expect which left me interesting throughout its entire duration. At times this film had me laughing, at the edge of my seat, and mesmerized with what was going to happen next. If you were a fan of Training Day you should check this movie out, although there are a few similarities, Harsh Times provides a deeper story with more realistic characters, proving to be a must see.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 14th, 2007
Based on a true story Conversations With God tells the story of Neale Donald Walsch, an average guy who loses his job, gets into an automobile accident and breaks his neck, and finally loses his family to a divorce. It wasn't long after this tragic chain of events, with his hospital bills rising and nobody wanting to hire a middle-aged man with health problems, that Walsch finally became homeless.
Hitting rock bottom with no prospects for improving his predicament, he begins to audibly question God. Wa...sch claims that God answered him... audibly. While this is a fact that is clearly open to some contention, it certainly makes for compelling storytelling.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2007
To tell you the truth, I think Warner Brothers is really on to something with their recent series of direct-to-DVD sequels. The studio offers a familiar story in a quality package, often at a discounted price. Some of these direct-to-DVD films are actually pretty good, such as the studio's new Raw Feed line of horror features. Unfortunately, this title is not one of the good ones.
While The Dukes of Hazzard – The Beginning is supposed to tell the story of how the Duke boys first got together, much o... this film appears to take place in the present day. Buses are from the 70's, but cars have modern alarms. Wardrobe choices are either going for a throwback look, or really are supposed to be period. I never really figured it out, and maybe that is part of what annoyed me so much about this film; it's lack of focus and forethought. I understand that the point of this product is to put something low-budget out into the marketplace to make a quick buck, but at least a little effort could have gone into the plot and character development. This film feels more like yet another American Pie sequel than a serious attempt at another story in the Hazzard series. The plot is one that has been told over and over again. Boss Hog is going to foreclose on Uncle Jessie's farm, so the Duke Boys (with Daisy's help), raise the money to save the farm, and have a wild and crazy good time doing it, complete with random naked women for no good reason.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2007
Penguins are "in" right now. They March and they dance with those adorably Happy Feet. So, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone decided there was money to be made by turning in a penguin farce. Unfortunately for us, that someone turned out to be Bob Saget. I admit to knowing very little about Saget outside of his family sitcom and home movies shows. This is a side of him I wish I'd never seen. This film is absolutely unfit for the kiddies. Now let me first say that I'm certainly not one of those folks that gets easily offended. I've been a South Park fan since the beginning and would never consider myself sensitive to crude humor. With that said, I must honestly say that Farce of the Penguins is the most disgusting piece of crap I've seen in some time. It would be tolerable if it were even a little bit funny. The only chuckles you'll get out of this is a handful of throw away lines. The rest is simply not at all humorous. Even Samuel L. Jackson can't save this mess with his narration. The story is simple: Carl (Saget) is a penguin who's looking for penguin love. Jimmy (Black), his best buddy, tries to convince him that the girl of his dreams is waiting for him at the end of their 70 mile trek to mate. The entire 80 minutes is spent with poor voice over during March of the Penguins style nature footage. Nothing really matches, and perhaps that's not really the point. The film drags along at an incredibly slow and awkward pace toward the breeding grounds where Carl meets Melissa (Applegate). The two hook up and a few rather raunchy complications allow this farce to continue even longer. By the time the end credits roll, pretty much every unfunny cliché has been set to penguin footage, and you've lost nearly an hour and a half of your life.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2007
The first Open Water film was one of those underdog stories that keep the filmmaking industry alive and vibrant today. I was pleased with the simplicity of it all and the emotional effect that kind of storytelling could have. The film provided hope that an Indie film shot on weekends and vacations on an almost nonexcistant budget could have something important to say. While this sequel attempts to reproduce all of these elements, it only further demonstrates how sadly they are missing. There's no small production feel to the process. The only thing small here is the script. Unlike our original couple, these swimmers are in peril not because of someone else's negligence, but due to their own stupidity. When three couples out on a yacht to celebrate one of their birthdays, they all slip into the water without first checking to be sure the ladder or a landing was put out so they can get back on. Add a baby left behind, and I still can't get too worked up about whether or not these idiots survive. The stupidity continues as each stage of further danger is only brought about by one moronic action after another. Finish it off with an ending that tries to be mysterious but only ends up being the idiot cherry on top of this idiot sundae.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 11th, 2007
If you�ve been anywhere on the planet over the past year then there�s no doubt that you�ve at least heard the name Borat in passing, well Borat - Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan has finally made its way to DVD. Although I�ve wanted to see this movie since I saw its preview before Jackass 2, this is the first time I�ll actually be watching it and I eagerly anticipate it; I�ve heard lots of things about this controversial mockumentary comedy. Adding to my anticipation of the film is the fact that Seinfeld writer Larry Charles is the director.
Sacha Baron Cohen plays Borat the fictitious journalist from Kazakhstan who first introduces us to the people of his village and their way of life. He then explains that he is being sent on a mission to America to observe the way of life there and bring back lessons to help make Kazakhstan a better place, hence the title. Ken Davitian stars as the producer and close friend of Borat who accompanies him on his journey to America. From this point Sacha Baron Cohen stays in the character of Borat and tricks people into thinking that he is this over the top character, and basically their reactions to his hilarious comments are what make this movie what it is. For example, there is one scene where Borat is dinning with high society and he basically makes an ass of himself by acting indifferent, and oblivious to the customs in America. In another scene he sings at a rodeo, where a bunch of redneck�s apparently insight a riot over his comments. Its things like this that makes Borat what it is, a hilariously unpredictable journey across America.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 9th, 2007
In a New York forever conscious of the shadow of 9/11, we follow the sex lives and tribulations of a group of gay and straight characters. There’s the gay couple whose relationship is hitting a rocky patch. There’s the professional dominatrix who is finding it more and more difficult to face her work. And there’s the sex therapist who’s never had an orgasm. Her quest for same brings her into contact with the other characters, and to Shortbus, an eccentric sex club.
In the making-of featurette, writer/director John Cameron Mitchell describes where the idea for the film came from. He’d noticed the spate of serious European movies that featured real sex scenes, but also that they were all very dark. He wanted to make a sex-positive film. The intent is laudable, the performances are all convincingly natural (and CBC Radio host Sook-Yin Lee is very funny as the therapist), and there’s a wonderful conceit involving a CG table-top model of NYC through which the camera flies. And yet, one might be forgiven for longing for the explosive savagery of the likes of Baise-Moi. When the characters aren’t having sex, they talk about it. And talk, and talk, and talk. Half an hour in, both the action the discussion begin to grow tiresome. Characters that are supposed to be eccentric are annoyingly flaky, and one can’t help but wonder whether all these people don’t have anything better to with their time. So the film is earnest, sweet, and worthy, but needs something more to truly hold the viewer’s attention.
