Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 17th, 2002
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 26th, 2002
This movie stunned me in its completely unexpected excellence. Its unrecognized title, cast of minors, typical B-movie premise, and sponsorship by the government of Luxembourg all suggested a weak slasher film to follow. Like Ginger Snaps before it, however, Dog Soldiers is a new brand of monster movie that blends subtle talent with creative plots, superb directorship, spectacular camera work, and over the top action to take viewers completely by surprise.
Before I continue, here’s the synopsis:...a group of British soldiers training in Scotland fall in the sights of a group of hunting werewolves. Violence and chaos ensue.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 11th, 2002
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 11th, 2002
Few films have had the impact of the original Exorcist. William Peter Blatty’s original book was a phenomenal hit. The film’s intense imagery and in your face brutality was all the more disturbing coming from a young teenage Linda Blair. What makes this film effective, however, is the subtle touches: The quick flash demonic faces, the eeriest backward language of the demon, and the haunting moans that culminate in one of the truly scariest films ever made. This release restores footage, long legendary, but not seen by a movie audience. I remember seeing pictures of Linda Blair’s “spider crawl” in Famous Monsters of Filmland in the 70’s. To call this film a classic would be stating the obvious.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 24th, 2002
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 22nd, 2002
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 18th, 2002
“I think they pulled it together in a way only Texans working together could.”
David Blocker – Producer, Frailty
Well, those Texans certainly did bring it together in a unique fashion, and Lions Gate has packaged it in an excellent DVD release. Bill Paxton’s directorial debut captures a family’s descent in dementia in 1979 in a performance that is surreal and believeable. The everyday and the unexpected are blended into a nightmare world where the mundane and supernatural are superimposed...and inseparable. Therein lies the fear of Frailty – the implication that dementia can ride in to any family (in the form of a winged angel spewing fire), and wrap itself in a guise of normalcy that renders it routine.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 15th, 2002
Jason is resurrected by an unfortunate accident involving a boat anchor and a power cable.He climbs aboard a ship carrying a graduating class to New York City, and proceeds to do his stuff. While those of us who caught this on its original theatrical run were disappointed that we had to wait a full hour before Jason reached NYC (or, more accurately, Vancouver), a return trip reveals this as one of the better made entries in the franchise. The characters, though thin, make are a bit more coherent than in Part VII, the action is competently staged, and once Jason hits Manhattan, much is made of the fact that he can chase and slaughter in full public view, and no one wants to get involved.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 14th, 2002
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 14th, 2002
Plot? What plot? Oh right: traumatized telekinetic teen accidentally raises Jason from the bottom of the lake. Jason kills folks. That’s about it. But you don’t watch these for the plot --you watch them for the killings. These are, sad to say, relatively restrained, and some of Jason’s tool acquisitions are silly (where did he get that electric hedge trimmer from?). The characters (I use the word loosely) are even more interchangeable than ever, and the continuity goes all to #%&@ in the latter part of the film.i Who’s running where and why? Who knows? There’s some nostalgic pleasure to be had here, but not much more than that.
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