Disc Audio

Moto X Kids

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 12th, 2004

Synopsis

Lorenzo Lamas is the coach of a group of motocross-racing kids. When an evil biker gangthreatens to take over the good guys’ track, a race is proposed, winner take all. The bikers don’tplay fair, however, and our heroes lose both their top rider and their bikes. Fortunately, as far asthe rider is concerned, a chimpanzee is able to fill in.

Groan. This is “family viewing” in the form of the worst kind of pabulum. But then, wat doyou expect from a film that tosses a m…
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Sweet Potato Pie

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 12th, 2004

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Synopsis

Three friends head out planning to lose their virginity. Misadventures ensue. You really don’tneed to know anymore about the plot than that, because you really, really, really don’t want towatch this amateurish, shot-on-video attempt to be an “urban” American Pie. Theassumptions behind the film seem to be that the target audience is completely stupid andundiscriminating, and will laugh uproariously at jokes lifted completely from other movies.Dreck of the lowest orde…
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Laverne & Shirley – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 11th, 2004

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Synopsis

Set in the same 1950s never-land as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley starsPenny Marshall and Cindy Williams as its eponymous heroines, two bottle-cappers at the ShotzBrewery in Milwaukee. Laverne is the cynical, semi-bad girl, while Shirley is the wide-eyedPollyanna and conscience of the pair. Both hope for more in life, and inevitably wind up inawkward situations.

The first few episodes assured ratings success by working Henry Winkler’s Fonzie into the…
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Judas

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 11th, 2004

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Synopsis

It’s the story of Jesus one more time (stop me if you’ve already heard it), in this instance seenthrough the eyes of Judas (Johnathon Schaech). Enraged by the oppression of his people, Judasis a would-be revolutionary who believes he sees in Jesus the leader he has been hoping for, onewho will lead the Jews in a revolt against the Romans. He is increasingly disillusioned by Jesus’lack of commitment to armed resistance, and the bitter disappointment he feels ultimately leads…
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Past Midnight

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 10th, 2004

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Synopsis

Released on parole after serving 15 years for the murder of his wife, Rutger Hauer becomesthe new case for social worker Natasha Richardson. This being one of those thrillers we’ve seena million times before, Richardson naturally suspects that Hauer is innocent after all, andpromptly falls in love with him. She begins investigating the case, and someone doesn’t takekindly to the fact that she is digging up the past.

Any viewer who actually falls for the did-he-or-di…
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Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 10th, 2004

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Synopsis

Based on the life of co-producer/choreographer JoAnn Jansen, this is the tale of RomolaGarai (no more American than her co-star is Cuban, but what the hell), who is uprooted fromthe States when her father is transferred to Havana. Our heroine is very repressed and bookish,but before you know it, she is being taught all sorts of hot moves by waiter Diego Luna.

Situating the love story and the dancing against the backdrop of the looming revolution isadds a bit interes…
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Dead Ringer

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 10th, 2004

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Synopsis

Bette Davis plays twin sisters. Edith is the poor sister, barely keeping her life together as herlittle bar goes under. Meanwhile, Margaret lives high on the hog, having become wealthy as thewife of the man she stole from Evie. Shortly after said husband’s funeral, Edith realizes that everyclaim Margaret had on him was a lie. Finally overcome by both misery and the need for revenge,she murders Margaret and takes her place. But Karl Malden, the cop who loves Edith, won’t let…
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Good Times – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 10th, 2004

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Synopsis

All in the Family begat Maude, which begat Good Times, giving thisseries the dubious distiinction of being a spin-off of a spin-off. Unusual then and now for beingset in a housing project in a crime-ridden area of Chicago, the series continues, in its thirdseason, to tackle such subjects as gun control, unemployment, the recession, and so on. Thismakes the show more ambitious than the empty-headed sitcoms that were unaccountablysuccessful (Full House…
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Predator

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 9th, 2004

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When I was a kid in the 80’s, Predator was one of those films that you weren’t supposed to watch, but everybody did anyway. Over-the-top action, invincible heroes, cheesy one-liners and big, big explosions made this a film that was a favorite of pre-pubescent boys everywhere. Going into this disc, I found myself wondering if the film would stand up to the harsh tests of time and maturity.

The answer to that question is both “yes”, and “no”. In the “no” column, it is very apparent early on in the film…
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Bad Seed, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 3rd, 2004

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Synopsis

Christine (Nancy Kelly) has a wonderful husband (William Hopper) and a perfect little girlin Rhoda (Patty McCormack). But when hubby is sent off to Washington for several weeks andChristine must hold the fort, her lovely little life cracks apart. During a school picnic, one ofRhoda’s classmates drowns. He had been the recipient of Rhoda’s anger, since he won apenmanship award she felt was rightfully hers. It doesn’t take long before Christine realizes thatthe death was not …
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Village of the Damned / Children of the Damned Double Feature

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 2nd, 2004

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Synopsis

Village of the Damned (1960) is the best of the films based on the novels of JohnWyndham (in this case the sources is The Midwich Cuckoos. At 11 o’clock onemorning, every living thing in Midwich falls asleep. Hours later, all awake, apparently none theworse. But shortly thereafter, it turns out that every woman capable of bearing children ispregnant. When the babies are born, they are all blond, eerily similar, and possessed offrightening intelligence and powe…
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Black Hole, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 2nd, 2004

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Synopsis

The exploration vessel Palomino discovers the gigantic, long-lost Cygnus orbiting aroundthe edge of a massive black hole. Boarding the Cygnus after the Palomino suffers some damage,the crew discovers that the only human left aboard the Cygnus is the megalomaniacal MaximilianSchell. Aided by his army of robots, he is preparing to plunge into the black hole, and he willsacrifice anything and anyone to complete his goal.

On the positive side, the production design is m…
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Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Volume 3, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 2nd, 2004

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Synopsis

By 1948, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello’s film career was in the doldrums. It was revived inthis year by an inspired melding of genres: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Moreon the importance of this film a bit later on. For now, its premise sees Bud and Lou asdeliverymen who unknowingly help bring Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the Frankenstein Monster(Glenn Strange) into the States. Hot on the heels of the monsters, determined to destroy Dracula,is Larry Talbot (Lon C…
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Princess Diaries, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 1st, 2004

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Synopsis

Anne Hathaway plays 15-year-old (yeah, right) Mia, whose life is a gawky teenagenightmare. Then her life is turned upside down by the arrival in San Francisco of hergrandmother (Julie Andrews), who is queen of the mythical country of Genovia, and she needsMia to shoulder her responsibilities as heir to the throne, or Genovia will cease to exist. Miaundergoes a radical make-over, and clumsily fumbles her way through lessons on how to be aprincess.

You have to wonde…
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Hellboy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 31st, 2004

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Comic book characters have provided a large slate of movie productions in recent years. This really isn’t anything new; both Superman and Batman have each fueled successful film franchises (It should be noted that both are soon to return). Spider-Man’s record take opened a new floodgate. Some have been quite disappointing (The Hulk and The Punisher) while a few (X-Men and Spider-Man) have provided outstanding products. Hellboy fits somewhere in the middle. The character is somewhat lesser known and considerably more …
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Love Object

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 31st, 2004

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Synopsis

Desmond Harrington plays Kenneth, a terminally shy, socially inept technical writer. Lonelybeyond words and attracted to temp Lisa (Melissa Sagemiller) but unable even to speak to her, heorders a $10,000.00 love doll. After some initial awkwardness, he develops a full-fledgedrelationship with doll Nikki, one that gives him more confidence at work and with Lisa. But evenas he begins a real-life relationship, things begin to fall apart, as he senses that the doll isbecoming j…
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Femme Musketeer, La

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 31st, 2004

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Synopsis

This is a tale of the next generation of Musketeers (can we hear Alexandre Dumas spinningin his grave?). France and Spain are at war, and things are not going well for the French. Youngking Louis XIV is not mature enough to take on his responsibilities, and he is being manipulatedby Cardinal Mazarin (an incomprehensible Gérard Depardieu). Valentine (Susie Amy), daughterof D’Artagnan (Michael York) takes up her father’s sword to fight for the king and Franceagainst corruptio…
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Godsend

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 30th, 2004

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Synopsis

When Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos are emotionally devastated by the loss oftheir eight-year-old son Adam, scientist Robert De Niro approaches them with an alarmingproposition: he offers to clone Adam, so that they might have him again. While Kinnear isdoubtful, he eventually capitulates, and the operation is performed. Things go very well for thefirst eight years of the new Adam’s life. Then he begins to change, as if being taken over by ademonic presence.

Reality Bites

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 29th, 2004

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Synopsis

The title says it all as far as our principle characters are concerned. They are coming of age ina world so inimical to them (thank you, Baby Boomers) that their survival response is cynicismand disengagement. The leads are Winona Ryder as a would-be filmmaker in a humiliating job,Ethan Hawke as the slacker who can’t express his true feelings for Ryder, and Ben Stiller as thecareer guy who also courts Ryder. Also here are friends Janeane Garofalo and Steven Zahn asequally c…
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K Street

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 29th, 2004

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Synopsis

Real political figures and fictional characters rub shoulders in this tale of a Washington-based political consulting office. James Carville and Mary Matalin play themselves (as doHoward Dean and others). The consulting firm runs into a crisis when some Saudi clients turnout to (perhaps) have terrorist links.

The concept is pretty much the last word in torn-from-the-headlines fiction. This is a seriesthat is almost concurrent with the headlines. The illusion of real…
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Starsky & Hutch

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 29th, 2004

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Synopsis

Straight-arrow, straight-laced cop Starsky (Ben Stiller) is partnered up with the laid-back,ethically bent Hutch (Owen Wilson). Despite initial matter/anti-matter friction, the two soonbond (surprise!) and will stop at nothing to bring down vicious drug dealer Vince Vaughn.

Not much more of a storyline than that, and the point here is to revel in 70s kitsch. Thoughthere are a couple of very funny moments and lines, by and large the film just sits there, too staticto…
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Peter Pan (2003)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 28th, 2004

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Synopsis

Surely we all know the story. The Darling children — Wendy, Michael and John — are visitedby the ever-young Peter Pan, and they fly off with him to Neverland. There they battle thevillainous Captain Hook, and deal with the fact that, sooner or later, everybody (with oneexception) has to grow up.

Infinitely better than the bloated Hook, this is a first-rate adaptation of the tale. Theartistic design and cinematography are glorious, and the film is constant f…
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Bourne Identity, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 27th, 2004

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Synopsis

An wounded amnesiac (Matt Damon) is fished from the Mediterranean. He travels acrossEurope searching for his identity, only to discover that he has several, one of which is “JasonBourne.” He is, in fact, a CIA super-assassin who has slipped his leash, and the Agency isdetermined to take him down. Dodging killers, he travels to Paris in the company of Marie(Franka Potente), still searching for the key to his memory and a way to escape the implacablepursuit.

Easily …
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Garfield and Friends (Volume One)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 27th, 2004

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Garfield has been hunting lasagna, out-witting his clueless owner Jon, and frolicking with his intellectually challenged partner in crime, Odie since 1978. While the recent big screen release failed to capture the attention of the public, the animated series from 1988 did everything that the movie failed to do. It made the viewers laugh. The animated series was cleverly written, very witty and in a way similar to the Simpsons, had the ability to make both kids and adults laugh.

Garfield first appeared on T…
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Starsky & Hutch – The Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 27th, 2004

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The Second Season of Starsky and Hutch is often considered its best by long time fans of the show. Even Paul Michael Glaser expressed his feelings that the show peaked in the second year. By now the characters were well honed and the stories less 70’s cliché and tighter. The show often used the 2 parter now to tell more elaborate tales. The bad guys were meaner. The guys spend time undercover a bit this year, which added a tremendous amount of variety to what was really a formula show in the first year. That all impo…
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