Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 22nd, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 22nd, 2004
The Stupids are a family with, as you can guess, a below-average intelligence. I think this might be due to inbreeding. The plot is fairly simple, more a series of vignettes: the family gets into some mess because of a mistake they make, and then get out of it in some silly manner. It sort of comes together in the end, but that's how the whole movie goes.
The Stupids is a kid's movie, and it was made with that exact audience in mind. It's not really there to entertain adults and...the level of humor is about the same as your average Saturday morning cartoon. It's full of puns, silly situations, and obvious references. Of course, a good kid's movie entertains both kids and adults, and The Stupids doesn't even attempt that. The movie is nothing more than a series of sketches, and once you accept that, you're in good hands. It's hit-or-miss like any sketch movie, but when it hits the silly and surreal stride it strives for, it's a lot of fun.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 22nd, 2004
The third and hopefully final entry in the American Pie series, American Wedding keeps with the sweet charms and gross out comedy of the first two movies, but can’t live up to the humor of the original or its sequel. Average Joe Jim, (Jason Biggs) and former band geek Michelle, (Alyson Hannigan) are now engaged to be wed and must decide whether raucous Stifler (Seann William Scott) should be invited to the wedding. Shenanigans ensue involving a night out at a gay club, a bachelor party, pleasing the in-laws, and pubi... hair on a wedding cake.
Sure, Stifler eats dog poop and does for curse words what bullet time did for special effects, but missing characters and lack of novelty cannot lift this one into the rare category of sequels being as good or better than the previous installments. While it offers plenty of funny moments, most courtesy of Stifler, the movie just seems tired and worn out. The filmmakers should excuse themselves from the table after this. No more pie for them.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 17th, 2004
Ah….Armand Assante…what happened to your career. You were so brilliant in Sidney Lumet’s Q & A (rent it, people). I guess things happen. You have bills to pay. A family to raise.
Consequence is a made for cable HBO film. The opening voice-over, in classic film noir tradition, sets the table for a lurid crime melodrama. Unfortunately, Assante’s awkward southern accent makes the voice over, like the film itself, a bit off putting. The story involves a dentist (Armand Assante) who decides...to start a new life by impersonating his long dead brother. Facial surgery and dental records all come into play here. There are other plot twists involving money, double crossings, mistaken identities, and murder. Oh and there’s a “dangerous woman”, played with forced sensuality by Lola Glaudini. Rick Schroder also comes along for the ride, as the corrupt “best friend” (when is Silver Spoons – Season One coming out on DVD by the way).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 16th, 2004
I generally don’t care for those hour long Teen Sci-Fi Romantic Dramas that are so prevalent on the WB. They all just seem a little too “I’m 18, and I’m mad at my parents” for my tastes. While there’s no doubt that Roswell certainly has a measure of that teen angst, there is just enough X Files included, too. Most of the melodrama in this show is tied in with the sci-fi aspects of the story, which makes the show not only watchable, but a bit of a guilty pleasure.
The basic premise of this show...(namely, that three aliens from the urban legend spacecraft landing in Roswell, New Mexico are now teenagers, and going to High School there) it pretty hard to swallow. Granted, I have seen my share of far-fetched plots in my day, but for some reason, this one is particularly unbelievable. Once viewers get past a few episodes, however, and the premise is accepted for what it is, the characters are afforded more room to grow into interesting directions.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 15th, 2004
“I’ll Be There” is different from most romantic comedies in that the main relationship is between a father and his daughter….wait a minute, that didn’t come out quite right.
The story revolves around Paul Kerr, an aging rock star who ends up in a hospital following a drunken ride on a motorcycle inside his own mansion. There is a concern that he may have thoughts of taking his own life. And then to top it off Paul learns about a daughter that he sired during a relationship that he had with a groupie 16 ye...rs ago. Unlike other “relationships” that rock stars have with groupies, this one actually did mean something to them both, but destiny kept them apart until now.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 15th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 15th, 2004
A number of great films have come out of Ireland over the past decade (or so). A few titles that come to mind are In the name of the Father (1993), My Left Foot (1989), In America (2002), The Boxer (1997), and definitely The Commitments (1991). The one factor that differentiates The Commitments from the rest of these great films is that it centers around music rather then turmoil (whether it be personal, family, or country turmoil). The Commitments is a great tale t...at uses a perfect blend of comedy, drama, and music to tell its oddly uplifting story. The casting/acting is perfect, the music is wonderful, and the storyline is very entertaining. For those of you who are a fan of international cinema, this film is a real treat.
The Commitments follows the story of Jimmy Rabbitte, an unemployed music junkie who decides to start a band with a mission… to bring soul to Dublin. Jimmy assembles a rag-tag group of musicians, and the journey to create a “soulful” band in the streets of Dublin begins. Amongst the numerous personality conflict and musical differences, The Commitments bring hope to the down and out community, and start to make beautiful music. Unfortunately, there roller-coaster ride of success implodes before it really gets started.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 15th, 2004
Synopsis
Danny (Greg Kinnear) and his wife Jennifer (Lauren Holly) are a happily married couple. They have reached the point in their marriage that they are now ready to start a family. The only problem is that for whatever reason, they are unable to conceive. Jennifer goes to her physician for a work up and is found to be healthy and able to conceive. Therefore she concludes that the couple problems are due to Danny. She tricks Danny into going a fertilization clinic to be examined. It turns out tha... his boys are the reason for the couple’s baby making problems. They then try IVF (in vitro fertilization) given that the likelihood of success is low but still higher than the good old fashioned way.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 14th, 2004
If Sofia Coppola hasn’t redeemed herself from the whole The Godfather, Part III debacle by now, then it simply can’t be done. Lost in Translation is a beautiful film, the likes of which are rarely seen on this side of the Atlantic. (Of course, to be fair, the film was filmed entirely on location in Tokyo.)
Shot on a shoestring budget, Coppola has definitely made a mountain out of a molehill with this film, taking her small story of two ships that cross in the night, and making that night as br...ght and colorful as Vegas on New Year’s Eve. The result is a character study that is delicate and subtle, yet it stands out sharply against the chaos that surrounds it.
