Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 9th, 2005
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 6th, 2005
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 6th, 2005
What kid growing up in the 60’s and 70’s wasn’t totally and completely captivated by the moon landings? We were equally on the edge of our seats when, for a brief moment in time, it appeared we were going to lose our first men in space. Seldom can a film be successful when the audience has most of the story’s details burned into the core of their memory. After all, we know how this one comes out. Still, the film manages to create the intense tension and anticipation as if we were experiencing it all for the first time. The cast is quite crucial for such a monstrous task. Tom Hanks has arguably never been better. The understated style of Gary Sinise is exactly what the film requires when the suspense mounts. It’s particularly gratifying to have Ed Harris along for the ride, quite possibly an homage to his unforgettable John Glenn in The Right Stuff. Ron Howard should be congratulated on producing a piece of cinematic magic that will likely stand the test of time.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 5th, 2005
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 4th, 2005
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The Amityville Horror (1979) remains one of the most successful haunted house movies ever. Based on a supposedly true story (emphasis on “supposedly”), the film sees George and Kathy Lutz (James Brolin and Margot Kidder) buy their dream home, only to be driven out by supernatural events (little girl makes friends with demonic piggie, blood runs from the walls, and so on). In scenes that have so little to do with the rest of the action they might almost belong to a separate movie, Rod ...teiger overacts to a degree excessive even by his own none-too-restrained standards as the priest who is targeted by the evil in the house. Too tame to be truly frightening, the film succeeds thanks partly to its “true story” aura, but most especially because of the design of the house, whose eye-like windows made it the most recognizable of all cinematic haunted houses.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 4th, 2005
The Woodsman is not a story for the faint of heart. The content is disturbing to say the least… it is a story of a convicted pedophile that has a “thing” for young girls. The story is actually much more then that… it has a strong focus on the inner demons that the pedophile faces in attempt to clean up his life.
After being released from a 12-year prison sentence, Walter Rossworth (Kevin Bacon) tries to re-enter society by getting a job at a lumberyard, and moving into his own apartment (coincident...lly across the street from an elementary school). He meets a woman (played by Bacon’s real-life wife Kyra Sedgwick), and his life starts to show some promise – a new relationship, a decent job, and a new chance at life.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 3rd, 2005
This is a difficult review to write. The problem is approaching this miniseries and the subsequent new Sci-Fi Channel series without personal prejudice. I am a huge fan of the original Battlestar Galactica. While this incarnation has many redeeming qualities, I find it hard to consider it the same animal. The f/x are unquestionably some of the best yet seen on television. The action is ramped up many degrees from the original. The stories are, for the most part, more complex. So why do I hesitate in declaring this “reimagined” edition as superior? I don’t believe it was necessary to take steps that appear to me intended only to aggravate followers of the original. Making Starbuck a woman is probably the most egregious of these moves. I have a lot of respect for producer Ron Moore. His work on many of the Star Trek reinventions is top notch. Here he is unwilling to pay proper respect to what came before. Edward James Olmos, the new Adama, has made it clear that this show will anger fans of the original. I have continually preached in these reviews the importance of characters and the chemistry between them. The original Galactica had something special in the original Starbuck/Apollo relationship. While I’m willing to admit that my opinion could be colored, I find it hard to care about these characters. There is too much political correctness and romance.
The miniseries does pretty much follow the original pilot story. In this version the Galactica is about to be decommissioned. The focus becomes not only the last surviving military vessel, but one so old that it was slated to become a museum piece. There is great tension in the Apollo/Adama relationship that centers on the death of Zak, Apollo’s brother. The Colonial Vipers are true to the original design with far more detail, not possible 30 years ago on a television budget. The Cylons are human looking, and in the tradition of The Thing, could be anyone anywhere. The politics of the Colonies is explored much further here with the creation of a President, succeeded from the Education Secretary as the sole survivor of the Cylon attack. Finally the Baltar character is not so cut and dried evil. Seduced by an attractive Cylon into his betrayal, he seems to struggle at times with his part in the destruction of the 12 Colonies.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 2nd, 2005
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A monk is found walled up alive in an eccentric monastery, and Inspector Niemans (JeanReno) is on the case. Murders multiply around the country, connecting the cases worked on byNiemans and a young hotshot (Benoit Magimel, whose role is very similar to the one played byVincent Cassell in the original). The victims are all deeply religious, were all disciples of asurvivor who bears a more-than-passing resemblance to Jesus, and have the names andprofessions of the Disciples. They mur...erers are cowled monks possessed of apparentlysuperhuman strength and agility. What does all this have to do with the old underground tunnelsand defences of the Maginot Line? And what role does a German diplomat (Christopher Lee,demonstrating excellent French) have to play in all this?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 30th, 2005
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 29th, 2005
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