Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 12th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 11th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 10th, 2004
I hate Carly Simon. However, I feel that as I am supposed to be an impartial reviewer, so I should get that out of the way right here at the start. I have never liked her, though I am not really sure why. Maybe it is her freakishly large mouth. Maybe it’s that fact that “You’re So Vain” really is about the person who thinks it’s about them. Whatever the reason, I just can’t help it. She makes me cringe.
The good news is, now that I have viewed this disc, I have plenty of valid reasons to hate her. Ob...iously, I am not Simon’s target audience, but my job as a reviewer is to give my opinion, so that’s what I will do. This entire concert, filmed on the beach at Martha’s Vineyard in 1987, has all the earmarks of a Docker’s commercial. Pastel sweaters, frilly skirts and wine coolers abound in this ode to aging yuppies.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 9th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 8th, 2004
Come join the Baker family (all twelve of them) for a fun, entertaining and albeit crazy ride through their life. While trying to manage twelve kids and a job Tom and Kate Baker (Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt) manage to do it all, while still staying somewhat sane.
With a great cast of Hollywood veterans and up and comers “Cheaper By the Dozen” offers something for kids and adults of all ages. The dynamic between Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt presents a real sense of family togetherness and even the idea that a...ter twelve kids they’ve still “got it.”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 5th, 2004
Master and Commander is an epic tale that is adapted from 2 novels of a 20 novel collection by writer Patrick O’Brian. This Napoleonic-era story follows the escapades of Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his intrepid crew aboard the British war frigate HMS Surprise, as they try to hunt down and capture or destroy the French warship Acheron. The Film gets off to a fast start as Capt. Aubrey and crew are ambushed by the Acheron and decimated in short order. This initial attack is well done and well acted ... the initial surprise and horror of the crew of the Surprise is visceral, which is then overtaken by the start of a fine performance by Russell Crowe as a battle savvy Captain who quickly sizes up the situation and inspires his crew to survive the initial assault. After the narrow escape we are introduced into a few of the other major members of the crew. Paul Betthany plays the ship’s surgeon Stephen Maturin, and the Captain’s close friend and confidant. This is a very fine performance in which the friendship the two share and their differences in opinion about duty are strained. After two narrow escapes, Jack Aubrey makes it his personal mission to track down the faster, more heavily armored, and more heavily armed Archeron even if it takes him to the far side of the world (which in this case is the Galapagos Islands).
The acting in this film is great. While these are men of war and duty, and the emotional tone is one of courage and bravery, there are many scenes where the fear is palpable and scenes of betrayal that are very believable. In particular the exchanges between Betthany and Crowe when Crowe has to pull rank is very moving – he has to do what he believes even if that costs him the most important relationship that he has on his vessel. The two major battles are well done – both the ship to ship cannon-fire and the chaos of the boarding scene at the end. The cinematography is excellent with wide sweeping shots of the ship on the open ocean in varying conditions from calm sunsets to “perfect storm” settings.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 3rd, 2004
CSI continued to improve into its third season. The stories are as crisp and innovative as ever. Surprisingly, the show did not suffer from the addition of its fine but inferior Miami cousin. Minor characters like lab tech Greg are put to much better use. The f/x get better also, and a strong cast of guest stars doesn’t hurt the mix either.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 2nd, 2004
Let’s face it… when it comes to boxing movies, there’s Raging Bull, and then there’s everything else. Rocky (and the subsequent cash driven vehicles) is a great film, but not really a great film about boxing. Even Daniel Day-Lewis’ The Boxer is more about the man than the sport. It’s hard to make a great boxing film. Not only is it extremely difficult to capture the action authentically, but very few actors have the physical ability to pull off such a role.
Well, I don’t know how easily...it was done, but John Leguizamo has made quite a valiant effort at conquering this challenge in this film, his directorial debut. The story is just what you would expect, chronicling the rise of a young poor kid from the streets as he wins fame and fortune, and loses himself along the way. The good news is, this predictable plot is peppered with some truly fantastic boxing segments. The viewer feels the momentum shifts in the matches, and is not just subjected to a highlight reel of punches, which seems to be the norm in so many of the movies of this genre.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 1st, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 31st, 2004
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