Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2005
I will be honest and admit that Insurrection is one of my least favorite Trek films. I rank it down there with the first film due to its many flaws. While it has always been Star Trek’s style to engage in open social commentary, I don’t believe it usually needs to hit you over the head so blatantly. The social message here is too cut and dry. There is not the necessary moral middle-ground to create honest conflict. This is also Brent Spiner’s worst performance. The inside jokes are too cute and forced to appeal to any but the most dedicated fans, and I believe even they might feel insulted. The Picard/Data duet while two shuttles engage in a dogfight is just too much for my gag reflex to handle. Jonathan Frakes, after turning in such an impressive directorial display on First Contact, plays it safe for the entire film. I’ve heard fellow Trek fans say this would have been a better series episode. I disagree. This would have been a poor episode as well. Rich Berman puts one more bullet in the gun that killed Star Trek.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 16th, 2005
Synopsis
Years after the events of Bride of Chucky, evil dolls Chucky (voice of Brad Dourif) and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) are dormant and being used to make a Chucky movie, starring in-decline sexpot Jennifer Tilly. (I know: very postmodern already, and we’ve only just begun.) Their offspring (voice of Billy Boyd), of indeterminate gender and gentle spirit, escapes its evil ventriloquist captor, travels to Hollywood and revives the demonic duo, unaware of their psychotic natures. Chucky wants ... boy, and names the child Glen. Tiffany wants a girl, and picks the name Glenda. Chucky wants Glen to take up the knife, while Tiffany tries to quit killing (but keeps having slips). Meanwhile, they plan to impregnate Tilly so that Glen/Glenda can become a real child, while the parents plan to transfer their souls into the bodies of Redman and Tilly. Lurking in the background is, appropriately, John Waters as a paparazzo.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 16th, 2005
As usual, National Lampoon comes up with a silly but at times funny movie - if you like silly that is. The two leading goofballs are just off the wall enough to make this movie bearable.
Gold Diggers is about two young losers named Cal (Will Friedle) and Lenny (Chris Owen) who enter a life of crime trying to survive on the streets. Unfortunately, they are terrible at it and end up going in and out of jail a couple of times before things begin to look up for them - they attempt to rob two very old si...ters who end up wanting to marry them. The guys are all for this as Cal has the idea of offing them to inherit their estate while the sisters want to off the young men to collect on an insurance policy they have taken out on them. The two opposing teams show smiling faces toward each other while plotting the others' demise.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 16th, 2005
In watching Being John Malkovich again recently, for the first time in awhile, the thing I was struck by is how unique it is (duh!). It doesn't try too hard at being different, to the point that it's going to suck, everything is matter of fact, and it's hilarious. Its characters are flawed, but we feel for some of them a great deal. It's funny, it's touching, it's dramatic, it works on many levels. I'd expected this to be a 112 minute MTV video from Spiegel heir Spike Jonze, but it's clear that with his work, combined with Charlie Kaufman's script, the result is a story about the 3 main characters experiencing deep, life-altering experiences, and from those experiences, finding (or wanting to find) love. How they get there though, that's another story.
Craig Schwartz (John Cusack, High Fidelity) is a street puppeteer dreaming of success. Sometimes his puppet shows are a little on the PG-13 tip for some G audiences, leading to a young girl's father punching Craig. He then returns home to his wife Lotte (you'd barely notice, but it is Cameron Diaz of There's Something About Mary) convinces him to try and find a job. Lotte runs a pet store, and their apartment is crowded with pets, among them a chimp suffering from an ulcer. With Craig's expert hands, he manages to find a job working as a file clerk at LesterCorp, located in the Merton Flemmer building on the 7th floor. He meets and falls for Maxine, who is not afraid to speak her mind, especially when it comes to Craig's passion. She tolerates Craig, knowing that he's pretty harmless. One day at work, Craig accidentally drops a file behind a cabinet, and behind the cabinet, finds a door and a small crawlspace. Going through the door whisks him through a portal which places him inside of John Malkovich's head for 15 minutes, before depositing him along the side of the New Jersey Turnpike. Craig returns to work and tells Maxine (and subsequently Lotte) about the portal, and things go from there.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 15th, 2005
In the unnecessary sequel department comes Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. Why make this movie? Because Sandra Bullock needs a hit? It doesn't come here. Bullock, once again (and hopefully for the last time), plays Gracie Hart. Her involvement in a well known beauty pageant has made it impossible for Gracie to maintain a low FBI profile. So she has become the PR person for the bureau. But Gracie is "called back" into the line of duty (against the FBI's wishes) when two of her friends (played by ...illiam Shatner and Heather Burns) are kidnapped. This uncomfortable blend of action and comedy does not work. It's a waste of almost two hours of your life.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 14th, 2005
The Godfather Part II is, quite simply, one of the best films of all time. Personally, I would actually place it above it's predecessor, the original Godfather film, though both won Academy Awards for Best Picture. Part II, however, gave us not only Al Pacino in a genre-defining role, but also the young days of the original Godfather, played brilliantly by Robert De Niro, who impressively treads the line between believability and farce that is so fine with an actor like Marlin Brando.
In fact, i... is not only Al Pacino's acting that defines the gangster genre, but just about everything about this film, from the cinematography to the dialog. After the original film was released, every classic period piece for the next 35 years had to have that same golden look. The acting, the romantic storylines, and the cinematography re all first-rate. This is a classic film that deserves to be on every film fan's top 5 list and DVD shelf.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 9th, 2005
Swimming Upstream is one of those "small" sports underdog films. It's a true story about Aussie Tony Fingleton, a swimmer who vies to be National champion. Is he racing against all odds? Well...the odds are in the form of family. Geoffrey Rush plays Fingleton's father, an abusive alcholic. So...not only is Fingleton trying to achieve athletic glory, but also trying to win the heart of his father. This is a paint by numbers sports story. The performances are the saving grace, however. Rush, Jesse Spencer ...playing the swimmer), and the always wonderful Judy Davis are all excellent.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 9th, 2005
Lindsay Lohan plays sassy Nancy Drew wanna be Lexy Gold. When one of her teachers goes missing (played by Ian Gomez), Lexy enlists her "hip" friends to help her crack the case. Another vehicle for Lohan. It's a little boring, and the mystery plays out on the level of a Saved By the Bell episode. The point of the movie is to point out they sassiness of Lohan. She's sooo hip. Like...totally.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 6th, 2005
The Parent Trap is a remake of the Hayley Mills classic. It stars none other than Lindsday Lohan. She's actually pretty good here. In a pre-sex appeal role, Lohan plays two twins who have never met, but then do. They concoct a plan to switch identies on their respective divorced parents. Lohan pulls off both twin personalities quite well. The movie also stars the always reliable Dennis Quaid and the extremely talented Natasha Richardson. It might be fun for kids, and Lohan fans, but this is NOT a case of...the remake being better than the original. It's an okay movie, and way too long.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 6th, 2005
Synopsis
Another cog in the Disney/Winnie the Pooh machine comes to life here, as Pooh’s Heffalump Movie brings back all the characters you love for a story about acceptance, no matter what you look like.
