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Dolby Digital 5.1 (English)

The Promise

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 2nd, 2007

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On its surface, The Promise seems to have a good pedigree backing it up. You’ve got the guy who directed Farewell, My Concubine and the cinematographer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, combining forces for a Chinese film that is epic in scope, similar to the Zhang Yimou films Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

The problem with The Promise is that the story rambles a bit, and the characters are ones that you don’t care about. The stunts aren’t even breathtaking either, as the visual effects are apparently done with wires and green screens, and can be made out so obviously, they lack the magic and wonder of the Yimou films, or even other films like Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle.
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World Trade Center

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 30th, 2006

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Comments on the supplemental material on this edition have been ported over from Ryan Erb’s excellent (and recent) review of the HD DVD, which also can be enjoyed on this site.Â Now onto this review…

Remember when it was announced that far-left conspiracy theorist (and resident Castro admirer) Oliver Stone would be making a film about the September 11 attacks? Of course you do. In fact, the collective pucker of the nation tightened in horror and trepidation when the notion was first thrown around, and later grew in suspicion as the film’s realization became closer and closer.
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Material Girls (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 29th, 2006

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Hilary Duff vehicle Material Girls hit theatres in August 2006, and failed miserably. That fact was my only comfort while I wasted 98-minutes of my life watching this movie.

I fully expected to dislike this teeny-bop flick, but I was actually surprised by just how bad it actually was. Hilary Duff and sister Haylie probably wish they’d never made this movie, though I imagine the paycheck would make up for this blotch on their filmography. I’m hoping the same is true for Angelica Huston (The Royal Tenenbaums) and Brent Spiner (Star Trek’s Data), who play cringe-worthy supporting roles.
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Jet Li’s Fearless

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 28th, 2006

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Jet Li’s Fearless is reportedly the star’s final martial arts epic. Since we’re talking about the guy who did Once Upon a Time in China, Twin Warriors and Hero, that fact alone makes this is a significant film for martial arts fans.

Fearless tells the story of Huo Yuanjia, who in 1910 helped found the Jin Wu Sports Federation (Chin Woo Athletic Association), the first civil Kung Fu organization in China. Li plays Yuanjia, who is a Chinese folk hero. The film follows Yuanjia’s life from early childhood until his last days, showing his journey from a weak, little boy to a cocky, selfish bully, and finally to a respected martial arts master and Chinese patriot.
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The Last Kiss (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 22nd, 2006

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Don’t pay any attention to the description on the back of DVD case. Described as “hilarious”, this film is anything but. While it may have a few funny moments, we’re talking about a serious drama. The Last Kiss is a cautionary tale about temptation. It presents the circumstances and life choices of 30-year-olds in an intense, honest way, which makes the film both completely engrossing as well as difficult to watch.
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Mozart & The Whale

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 22nd, 2006

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In case Rain Man didn’t give you your fill of films about autistic characters, Ron Bass, writer of Rain Man, has decided to give us an unnecessary sequel. OK, this isn’t really a sequel, but it might as well be. Honestly, this film has everything Rain Man had except for a good scripts, solid performances, and oh yeah, Dustin Hoffman. Still, this romantic nonsense utilizes the same theme. Unfortunately autism here is reduced at times to stereotyping that appears grossly unfair to the millions of people who suffer from the disability and their loved ones.
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Cemetery Man

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2006

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A twisted twist on the zombie genre. Dellamorte (Everett) is a watchman of sorts over a small village cemetery. The problem is not so much with folks breaking in as with the dead breaking out. In this neck of the woods the dead arise within 7 days of their death. A simple shot in the head solves the rather pesky problem; however, it requires a certain amount of vigilance. Now so far none of this is terribly original at all. Things begin to change when Dellamorte becomes infatuated with a mourning widow. Their escapades at her husband’s grave literally wake the dead.
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The Wicker Man (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 19th, 2006

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Nicolas Cage is a highway cop haunted by a gruesome accident. He receives a mysterious letter from his ex-fiancee, begging him to come to the remote colony where she lives and help find her daughter. Cage arrives there to find a grim matriarchy, uncooperative locals, and sinister hints of something nasty going to happen to the child.

I wrote about this film when it was in the theatres, and rather than repeat myself through paraphrase, I repeat myself verbatim. Note there are some spoilers below.

Fish Called Wanda, A

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 18th, 2006

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A Fish Called Wanda returns to DVD, this time in a stunning 2-disc collector’s edition that finally gives adequate treatment to one of the funniest surprises of the eighties. John Cleese stars as an English barrister, whose life is so dull and – well, British – that a seductress/jewel thief named Wanda comes along and steals his heart in record time. But Wanda carries a lot of baggage with her, the heaviest piece being a Nietzche-quoting moron, who just so happens to be her psychotic boyfriend. Add an anima…
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Little Miss Sunshine

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 17th, 2006

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Little Miss Sunshine is a gem. With a quirky script, a great cast and interesting cinematography, there’s plenty to appreciate as this ultimately uplifting film unfolds.

To make a great movie, they say you have to start with a great script. From there, your goal is just to not screw it up. Little Miss Sunshine‘s script laid just such a foundation for this film, as it’s unique, funny and surprisingly heartwarming.
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The Cheetah Girls 2 (Cheetah-Licious Edition)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006

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Well as far as girl groups go, I suppose one could do worse than the Cheetah Girls. Something that is a pretty clear production of the Disney network, the only recognizable thing about the group itself is the appearance of the big-boned Raven Symone, otherwise known as the youngest Cosby kid.

And it appears that several different plot devices occur through the film. You’ve got the Help! or other delirious fans of young groups. Then the girls travel to what appears to be Spain after maxing out their success in the US, so they decide to go without really going, using enough exterior shots to match up with the sound stage scenes.
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The Wild

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006

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If there’s something that bothers me about the wave of digital films for children’s entertainment nowadays, it’s that anyone who has a Mac and good enough software feels compelled to make a movie, no matter how much it sucks. And Disney (or Dreamworks) or another studio will put enough marketing money behind it to make anyone want to watch it.

How can you tell how good or bad it will be? Well, if it’s not a Pixar film, you can generally tell by the cast that is brought in to do voice work for it. In the case of The Wild, Samson the Lion (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) lives in the New York zoo with his son Ryan (hey, that’s me! But really it’s Greg Cipes, John Tucker Must Die).
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My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 13th, 2006

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My Super Ex-Girlfriend certainly has a fun premise, but after 10 minutes or so, you’ll quickly realize that the originality is at most skin-deep. What we have here is a formulaic romantic comedy with the usual character types and plot points.

Luke Wilson plays Matt Saunders, a nice guy who’s kind of unlucky with love. He meets Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman), falls for her, realizes she’s a needy psycho, and dumps her because he’s really in love with his co-worker, Anna (Hannah Lewis).
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Superman II – The Richard Donner Cut

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 13th, 2006

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The 1978 Superman film set the standard for what a quality comic hero film should be. The tagline promise: “You will believe a man can fly” was kept. All future comic films would be judged by this standard. Superman II had its faults. Certainly it was not the modern classic like the first film. The plot was bogged down with a rather silly love story that broke down the barriers of the Kent/Superman identity for Lois Lane. Luthor, while played again with style by Gene Hackman, is reduced to a comedic backseat to the real villains.
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Paul McCartney – The Space Within US

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 13th, 2006

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Paul McCartney is a great example of what Darwin meant by survival of the fittest. No one in the music business has learned to adapt and thrive like Paul McCartney. The term timeless has been applied so often to so many performers that it might have lost any meaning. Still, if anyone deserves that description, it is Paul McCartney. With The Beatles he helped define the 60’s and reinvent Rock and Roll. In the 1970’s and 80’s he continued the hits with Paul McCartney and Wings. When Wings finally disappeared into the midnight sky, McCartney was still at it as a solo artist.
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Wii Sports (Wii)

Posted in Game Reviews by Archive Authors on December 8th, 2006

Well it is finally here; the Wii has been released by Nintendo and with it comes my very first review of a Wii title. As most of you surely know Wii Sports is included in the package with every system and it showcases some of the Wii Remote’s impressive capabilities. Beyond its apparent simplistic look its offers more depth than originally expected. Initially thought as a mere technology demo, Wii Sports turns out to be a game in itself.
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UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 7th, 2006

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A secret military research base (consisting of boring green-lit corridors and boasting a total staff and solider complement of about eight plus Michael Madsen) is working on a serum that boosts aggression and creates super-soldiers. Used on war heroes, it turns them into raging psychotics, so the decision is made to test it on losers, with the idea that they won’t be boosted quite as much. (Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t write the script.) A group of misfits is hauled in, but they don’t like what they’re being subjected to, and are soon running around corridors, looking for a way out.
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Rocky

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 5th, 2006

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I donï¿½t recall when I first saw Rocky, and I havenï¿½t kept track of how many times Iï¿½ve seen it since. The answers are probably ï¿½15 years agoï¿½ and ï¿½more than 10 timesï¿½, but accuracy isnï¿½t important. What is important for you to know, is that Sylvester Stalloneï¿½s masterpiece is one of my favourite films of all time.

In other words, I love this movie, so donï¿½t expect any criticism until at least the ï¿½videoï¿½ section of this review. I donï¿½t deny that there may be aspects of Rocky that merit denigration, I just refuse to let anything distract me from what I consider to be the ultimate inspirational story.
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The Devil Wears Prada

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2006

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When I sat down to watch The Devil Wears Prada with my wife, who was excited to see it, I was braced for a complete chick flick. I figured it was another one of those ï¿½uglyï¿½ duckling turns beautiful to conquer her situation movies, and that prospect didnï¿½t exactly have me jazzed up.

Well, thatï¿½s not quite how it goes, and I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the film. The story centres around Andrea (Anne Hathaway), an aspiring journalist whoï¿½s getting nowhere, who takes a job as second assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the frightening editor-in-chief of a leading fashion magazine.
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John Tucker Must Die

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 30th, 2006

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John Tucker Must Die has all of the elements of an average teen movie: a high school setting, an unrealistically attractive cast, cliques, and the list goes on. That’s my way of saying I can’t think of any other obvious teen movie stuff, so fill in whatever comes to your mind and I’m sure it’ll fit just fine.

If it looks and sounds like a duck, then it probably is an average teen movie, right? Right. I may have skipped a step there, but the point is you shouldn’t expect anything special from John …
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Alias – The Complete Fifth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 30th, 2006

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Five years seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, but Sydney Bristow and friends have gone on their final mission. The final season brought along the expected plot twists, new faces, and clever disguises just as the previous four had, but something was definitely missing by now. With J.J. Abrams moving on to other things like Lost and Start Trek XI, it seems that Alias was left to fend for itself. Now, granted, it had been a while since Abrams was involved in the day to day running of the show, but by year 5 it se…
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Little Athens

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 27th, 2006

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Iï¿½m never up on the film festival scene, so itï¿½s no surprise to me that Iï¿½ve only just discovered Tom Zuberï¿½s Little Athens, even though it was an official selection of the Toronto Film Festival back in 2005.

My three favourite things about this movie are its strong cast, solid story and the unique cinematography. Actually, make it four things, because the soundtrack is also pretty excellent.

First, the cast. Little Athens is definitely an ensemble film, and every actor in this one is solid.
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Ronin

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 25th, 2006

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(Portions of this review have been pulled from the original one-disc version of Ronin, which can also be found in the reviews portion of the site)Synopsis

I think the only thing I remember about Ronin initially was that Robert DeNiro (Heat) was involved in some scandal involving a French “house of ill-repute” or something along those lines. But when Ronin was released, people quickly forgot about that mess, as what came from it was an action film that put a little more e…
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Strangers With Candy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 25th, 2006

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Synopsis

Back when it first aired on Comedy Central in a previous incarnation as a television series, Strangers With Candy was an interesting enough premise. Take a menopausally challenged, recently released prisoner named Jerri Blank (Amy Sedaris, Elf) who decides to return home for the first time in over three decades to try and get a new start and throw her into high school. Now, not knowing how good or bad the show did, it must have had some sort of following, because there’s a movie out …
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King Kong (2005)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2006

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No monster movie is bigger than King Kong. AFI members recently considered King Kong to be the most influential film ever. The original King Kong has inspired more filmmakers, actors, and technicians than any film in Hollywood’s history. The score is considered the first modern film score. For the first time the music is timed to accent certain aspects of the action. Willis O’Brien practically invented movie special f/x with his revolutionary stop motion technique seen earlier on The Lost World. One of those filmma…
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