Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 30th, 2002
Synopsis
Joan, who will inherit the throne of Castille, is sent to Flanders to marry the Archduke Philip.She falls madly and passionately in love with her husband. He is not faithful, however, and hersanity teeters because of this. Ambitious politicians jockey for power in the background, and seethe Queen’s possible madness as their ticket to ride. The film looks great, and the performancesare excellent. We aren’t shown much of the relationship before it begins to fall apart, however,...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 14th, 2002
Synopsis
Juan is a small-time grifter. Marcos is several steps up the ladder in terms of ambition andexperience. He takes Juan under his wing, and involves him in a possible Big Score, sellingcounterfeit stamps. Can Juan trust Marcos? Can we in the audience trust anything? This superbcrime film takes great delight in making you question absolutely everything you see, and youwind up in a state of grinning paranoia. Sophisticated, fiendishly intelligent, superblyentertaining filmmaki...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 3rd, 2002
Synopsis
It is World War II, and Wendy's daughter Jane, living in a constantly bombed London, has given up on childhood dreams. Her disillusion ends when she is kidnapped by Captain Hook and brought to Never Land. The animation is in no way up to Disney's current theatrical standard, but is leaps and bounds beyond other direct-to-video fare. The problem is, this WAS released theatrically. Anyway, the London sequences are nicely atmospheric, but things go rather flat and ordinary once we reach Never L...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 24th, 2002
Film
It has been a few years since I last saw Speed... but it is still as enjoyable as ever. Sure, Keanu Reeves is a bland actor, but other then his role in The Matrix… this is some of his best work. The action is hot, and the story is solid. For those who have not seen this film (what rock have you been hidden under?), this synopsis is for you:
“Jack Traven is a risk-taking SWAT Team officer, pitted against a mad-bomber, Howard Payne. Howard has a pattern of coming up ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 22nd, 2002
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Carlos is brought to a dilapidated boarding school. He is struck by the odd sight of a bomb standing in the middle of the courtyard. But even more unnerving is the ghost of a young boy that soon makes its presence known. Unravelling the mystery of this ghost isn't Carlos' only problem however. There are bullies in the school, and the brutal handyman has his eye on the gold in the safe. Said handyman is determined to get at the gold, and doesn't care who gets hurt (or worse) i...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 20th, 2002
The second version of Cornell Woolrich’s novel “Waltz Into Darkness” (previously filmed by François Truffaut’s Mississippi Mermaid), this is a decidedly steamier version, especially here, in its unrated form.
Synopsis
Cuban plantation owner Antonio Banderas advertises for a wife, and the woman who answers his ad is, he believes, plain but pure. What shows up, however, is the beautiful but duplicitous Angelina Jolie, who has larceny rather than matrimony on her mind. Her scam runs smoothly at first,...
