Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 22nd, 2003
Tapped Out is an independent film starring Georgio. It is also produced, written and directed by Georgio. The film is adapted from a story by Georgio. Oh, and the music supervisor is this guy named Georgio; maybe you've heard of him?
Honestly, it doesn’t really mater if you have heard of him or not (though you probably haven’t), my point has already been made. In previous reviews, I have stated my distrust of independent films that put too much power in the hands of one man, especially when that one ...an is as obscure as the singularly-named control freak in question. One man can’t do all things on a film set. If too much is attempted, even by A-list personalities, everything they do will suffer. A film is a mass creative effort, and when that sense of collaboration is lost, so are many unique ideas and talents. If a filmmaker can’t trust the professionals around him to do a fine film, he may be in the wrong business.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 21st, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 20th, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 20th, 2003
Well, this movie was a let down, and the DVD release is nothing special. Not one of Fox’s better efforts.
The Plot: The Order, disappointingly, turned out to be not much more than a Heath Ledger vehicle, apparently targeted at Goth teenage girls with vaguely Euro pretensions. Without letting out any spoilers, trust me when I say that you’ll be disappointed if you expect anything like what the trailer portrays. The trailer says implies that the Vatican is “..using a killer with supernatural powers to ...ake absolute control of an empire” and paints the movie as a fast-paced action/thriller church conspiracy film – which it isn’t. What is it? Part drama, part horror, very “moody,” totally boring.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 18th, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 17th, 2003
I hate to see great ideas go to waste. These days, it's rare that anyone ever has any new ideas in Hollywood. Everything has been done before, usually more than once. Sometimes concepts are adapted, and sometimes whole films are re-done… the most blatant slap in the face of creativity. When a film comes along that actually is original, I get excited. In fact, I'll even settle for a new twist on an old story. I get so tired of the same old thing, that even an ounce of creativity goes a long way with me.
It i... with this spirit that I morn for this film. Sure, this type of thing has been tried before, but not exactly in this way. It is basically a new thought… poison a dinner party, so that they might be given the chance to purge themselves of their wrongdoings, and live new lives, free from their secrets and burdens of guilt. Always before, films in the horror and suspense genres have involved an antagonist that kills out of spite, evil, or some other wrong spirit. This one, however, is doing everything he can to give his friends a better life. That is a new and exciting twist.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2003
Generally speaking, I am not a fan of trendy relationship films. Cameron Crowe's Singles aside, they are just not my kind of thing. They typically embody too much neurosis and whining from the female characters, and either overly sensitive or overly dense men. Plot elements are rarely believable (the two main characters often bump into each other at some all-too-fortuitous locale), and I frequently leave the theater feeling as if I have been manipulated into believing the story would actually be possible if it...happened in real life.
I also tend to not enjoy independent films that put too much power in the hands on one individual. Again, there are exceptions to this rule, such as Jon Favreau's Swingers, but as a whole, I find that it is always better to have input from others when crafting a film. Especially when the others in question have actually made a film before. This is almost always the case when it comes to first-time directors and/or writers. When they try to do it all themselves, I feel that it forces them to bite off more than they can chew, so to speak, and the quality of the work suffers as a result.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 15th, 2003
Show
It would be a boldfaced lie to say that Alias is the best show of its kind on television. The truth is that it is the ONLY show of its kind on television. Alias certainly contains writing that rivals even the award-gobbling Sopranos. The photography is film quality. The character chemistry, which I rank as the most important element in any show, is wonderful. The characters are compelling. You really start to care about these guys; even the villainous Sloan demands sympathy at times.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 15th, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 15th, 2003
Synopsis
