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Dolby Digital 5.1 (English)

Freaky Friday

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 21st, 2003

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Synopsis

Jamie Lee Curtis is the harried big-name therapist with the bestselling book. Lindsay Lohanis her teenage daughter going through the meat-grinder of high school. They are at each otherhammer and tongs, neither understanding the stresses of the other’s life. Then, of course, theywake up one Friday in each other’s bodies, and the fun begins. Not only must each survive inthe other’s environment, but two major events loom: Curtis’ marriage and Lohan’s band’saudition. Pos…
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Cabin Fever

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 20th, 2003

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Synopsis

A group of college friends head off into the woods for a holiday in a remote cabin. They havean bloody encounter with a gruesomely sick stranger, and he passes his infection on to them. Oneby one, they fall ill, and their friendships are violently torn asunder as they uninfected try toquarantine, by any means necessary, the infected.

Riddled with references to other horror movies, mostly from the 70s (the theme song fromLast House on the Left keeps pla…
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Order, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 20th, 2003

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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 …
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My Lucky Stars

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 18th, 2003

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Synopsis

Jackie Chan and partner Yuen Biao are in Tokyo, tracking down a bent Hong Kong cop. Thisvillain has teamed up with a Yakuza boss and his army of Ninjas, and Biao is captured. Indesperation, Chan gets hold of his superior officer and asks him to assemble his childhoodfriends. As these losers are all petty criminals, Chan reasons that they’ll be able to get close to theYakuza without being suspected.

If the above logic sounds a little shaky, it is. The storylin…
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Invitation, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 17th, 2003

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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…
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All Over the Guy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2003

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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…
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Alias – The Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 15th, 2003

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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.

So Close

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 15th, 2003

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Synopsis

Shu Qi and Zhao Wei are sisters who, after the murder of their parents, have become a top-of-the-line assassination-for-hire team, combining martial arts and weapons expertise with acomputer program that allows them to tap into any closed-circuit camera anywhere on Earth.Karen Wok is the tough-as-nails detective who is on their trail. All three women run afoul of acorrupt businessman who wants them dead.

The Charlie’s Angels can only wish they were thi…
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Eastern Condors

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 15th, 2003

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Synopsis

The year is 1976, and the Vietnam war has just ended. In a Dirty Dozen-style plotdevelopment, ten military prisoners are recruited to be flown into Vietnam to blow up a depotof missiles abandoned by the US army. Heading up the motley crew is the unjustly convictedSammo Hung. In-country, then hook up with female Cambodian guerillas. No one, other thanthe colonel leading the mission, knows precisely what their orders are.

What follows is a stirring serie…
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Heart of Dragon

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 14th, 2003

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Synopsis

Jackie Chan is a police officer. His girlfriend wants him to commit, but he wants to becomea sailor. The real complication in his life is his brother, Sammo Hung, who, though almost 30,has the mind of a small child. Chan must put his dreams on hold in order to look after hisbrother, and his resentment grows. His loyalty is put to the test, however, when Hunginadvertently runs afoul of the both the mob and the police.

If you’re hoping for another Jackie Chan a…
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Grabbed By The Ghoulies (Xbox)

Posted in Game Reviews by Archive Authors on December 12th, 2003

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While out on a romantic walk with your girlfriend, she’s grabbed by a group of ghoulies. Now you’ve got to rescue her, not the most original storyline out there but it works for the type of game that this is. On your search-and-rescue mission, you take the role of a young boy named Cooper who needs to go to Ghoulhaven Hall, a haunted house to rescue the fair damsel. Pretty simple stuff.

Graphics

The game uses cel-shading graphics which create a comic type feel for it which works well for …
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Duel to the Death

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 12th, 2003

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Synopsis

Every ten years, the best swordsmen from China and Japan meet at the House of the HolySword for a duel to the death. This time around, the champions are Ching Wan (Damian Lau)and Hashimoto (Tsui Siu Keung). The circumstances around the duel are as deadly as the duelitself, however, because the Japanese have sent an army of ninjas. Their mission: kidnap all ofChina’s best fighters and steal China’s kung fu secrets, thus paving the way for conquest.

Though init…
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Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 11th, 2003

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I don’t know what it is that makes men enjoy stupid comedies so much. Maybe it is our inner bully, lashing out at the weaknesses of those around us, and thus proving our superiority. Maybe it’s because it’s such a relaxing break from the stress of our busy working lives. Maybe it is because laughing at idiots makes us feel better about our own questionable level of intelligence. Whatever it is, it is clear that laughing at the ignorance of others is a basic male trait. There is a point, however, when the subject of o…
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Yes Symphonic Live

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 11th, 2003

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Synopsis

The DVD in this set is concert featuring Yes performing both new songs and greatest hits,accompanied by an orchestra. Obviously, if you’re not already a Yes fan, this will not be ofparticular interest. I will say that I’m not hugely aware of the difference the presence of anorchestra makes for many of these songs, given the wall of sound that they already consist of.

Audio

The audio is the most important aspect of this disc, and it comes in t…
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Jeepers Creepers 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 11th, 2003

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Synopsis

Every 23 years, a monster known as the Creeper lives and feeds on humans for 23 days. Weare at the end of the current cycle. After killing a farm boy on day 22, the Creepers spends hislast day disabling a school bus and tormenting the athletes and cheerleaders on board.

That’s about all you’ve got for a plot, but for this kind of horror film, that’s all you reallyneed. Oh sure, there are all sorts of side issues like the racism of the team captain, and theher…
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In the Line of Duty 4

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 11th, 2003

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Synopsis

Detectives Cynthia Khan and Donnie Yen are trying to break up a drug ring. The actionbegins in Seattle, where a bust goes wrong and Yen’s partner is killed by a CIA agent. Witness tothis is a dock worker, who becomes a prime suspect in the killing, and flees to Hong Kong. Khanand Yen follow, not yet realizing that they have a traitor in their midst.

I have no idea if the plot actually makes any sense, and frankly, I don’t care. It serves itspurpose, which is …
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Mighty Saturns – Saturn I and I-B

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 9th, 2003

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How quickly we forget our accomplishments. It was not long ago that the thought of sending a man into space was a far-fetched concept. The thought of landing a man on the moon was pure science fiction. Once the space race heated up, however, all boundaries were eclipsed. We succeeded in reaching the moon, and eventually space flight became a regular occurrence. It is easy to take for granted the miracles that were performed during the early days.

Thankfully, the folks at Spacecraft Films are here to remind …
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Belly of the Beast

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 9th, 2003

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Synopsis

Former secret ops man Steven Seagal’s daughter is kidnapped while on holiday in Thailand.Sagal, looking for all the world like a constipated Buddha, comes to Thailand to rescue her. Theauthorities believe a terrorist group called the Abu Karaf are responsible (people claiming to bethem have sent in a tape of their demands), but Seagal is not so sure. A lot of people will bebeaten up and shot before he unearths the truth.

The plot is both meandering and hard t…
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Medallion, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 9th, 2003

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Synopsis

The plot, such as it is, involves a mysterious medallion that, wielded by its child guardian,can convey supernatural power and eternal life. Julian Sands, phoning in a Creepy English BadGuy performance, wants the child and the medallion. He goes after the child first in Hong Kong,and then in Dublin (where, strangely, we do not encounter a single Irish person). Opposing himare Interpol agents Jackie Chan, Claire Forlani, and a bumbling Lee Evans. Chan is killedmidway …
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Bee Gees: The Hits and History of the Bee Gees

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 9th, 2003

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Synopsis

This 2-disc set is rather confusingly labelled, but let’s see if we can make some sense of it.Disc 1 is labelled “One Night Only” and is a 2-hour A&E documentary about the band. The casesays the documentary is called “The Official Story of the Bee Gees,” yet the on-screen title is“This Is Where I Came In.” The confusion doesn’t end there. Disc 2 is labelled “The OfficialStory of the Bee Gees,” but actually features the concert film “One Night Only.” Are we clear?Good…
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Scheme, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 2nd, 2003

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Synopsis

Three losers want to get on easy street. After being kicked out of a blood bank for trying tosell their blood too often, they steal a mail carrier’s load, hoping to score some cash in the letters.Instead, they discover that the daughter of a bible-thumping politician is apparently strugglingwith her sexual longing. They decide to deflower her, secretly film the deed, and sell the tapeto a tabloid publisher. Everything starts to go wrong, not the least of which is the d…
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Delta of Venus

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 30th, 2003

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Synopsis

Audie England plays Elena Martin (i.e. Anais Nin), an American living in Paris at theoutbreak of World War II. She has a passionate affair with Costas Mandylor (the poor man’sAidan Quinn), but when he is unfaithful, she leaves him. Desperate for money, she undertakes acommission to write erotic stories for an anonymous collector. So begins her sexual and literaryblossoming.

This is all very high-end stuff, with sumptuous cinematography and jazzy editing. King…
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All the Queen’s Men

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 29th, 2003

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Synopsis

OSS major Matt LeBlanc has a track record of ALMOST successfully completing no end ofmissions. His current assignment: infiltrate an all-female factory in Berlin and steal an Enigmacode machine. His team: a pencil pusher, a geek, and a transvestite. This last, played by EddieIzzard (Chaplin in The Cat’s Meow) coaches the rest of the crew in the finer arts ofpretending to be women. The mission goes wrong immediately when the factory turns out not tobe where it …
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How To Deal

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 28th, 2003

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Synopsis

Mandy Moore plays Halley, a teen having a rough year. Her parents have just gottendivorced, and her DJ father (Peter Gallagher) is about to marry a weather bimbo. Her best friendhas suddenly fallen in love, her sister is getting married, and she feels very alone. Enter theexaggeratedly cute Trent Ford, who slowly will turn Halley’s cynical heart around. Though everyconceivable teen trauma is bundled into the plot, solid performances, a more mature look at teensexuali…
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Allen Iverson – The Answer

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 28th, 2003

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Most fans of the NBA have strong feelings about Allen Iverson. While some feel that he his the most dominant player in the game today, others feel that he is selfish, a player who is more concerned with his own numbers than the welfare of his team. Iverson is usually embroiled in some sort of controversy, and I suspect that he likes it that way. While it is true that his rough image is probably not what the NBA has in mind as a league player, his talent simply cannot be denied.

This hour-long documentary ha…
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