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Genre

The Recruit

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 1st, 2003

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As Al Pacino constantly reminds us in The Recruit, nothing is ever as it seems. This film, while not a great effort, is vintage Pacino. Strong performances are also to be found from Colin Farrell and Bridget Moynahan, but as usual it is Pacino who steals the show. The Recruit is actually two different films in one. The first half is an intruding look at CIA training at the fabled “farm”. Once the training ends, an effective spy/counterspy plot takes over that won’t lose momentum. You’ll find enough surprises to keep even the most irritating “I knew it” viewers quiet for much of the film.

Outlaw Justice

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 1st, 2003

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Synopsis

Waylon Jennings, in a brief cameo, is gunned down by a former acquaintance who hasreturned from prison consumed with thoughts of vengeance. Jennings’ son gets together withKris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Travis Tritt to track down the killer. Not unentertaining,but, flawed by both sentimentality and flip moments such as a saloon slaughter that, sinceUnforgiven, is difficult to take a face value any longer.

Audio

The audio is a 2.0 mix, but wit…
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Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon (Gamecube)

Posted in Game Reviews by Archive Authors on June 1st, 2003

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The year is 2008 and the Soviets are up to their old tricks again. It seems they liked the idea of having an Eastern Europe border nation, and they want to pull all of the entire break away provinces back under the sickle and hammer. Of course, America and her allies cannot let that happen, and just like we stood up for freedom at Kosovo, Serbia, and Kuwait, we will send troops and supplies to the region as a ‘peace keeping’ mission.

This is where players enter the game Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon for t…
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The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 1st, 2003

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The film opens with the assassination of Jesse James (Kristofferson) and then flashes back tothe last years of the lives of the James brothers. Ostensibly retired from their outlaw ways, they can’t quite settle down. Jesse is the wilder of the two brothers, while Frank is much more of a homebody, and is frequently seeing cursing his stubborn animals. Imagine the kind of western you’d expect to catch on cable in the late 80s, and you’ve imagined this movie. Kristofferson is notably more convincing in his role than is Cash.

Star Trek: Nemesis

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 31st, 2003

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If ever there was a film that was badly misunderstood it is Star Trek: Nemesis. The most common complaint I’ve heard is it was too much like an episode. Excuse me, but isn’t it supposed to be? Nemesis has everything a good Star Trek film should have. The character chemistry, space battles, a morality tale, and terrific f/x. If the film suffers at all it is from poor editing, as the collection of deleted scenes clearly shows (more on that in the special features section). As many politicians are fond of saying, “mistakes were made,” but this is a far better film than the critics or fans have given it credit for being.
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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Playstation 2)

Posted in Game Reviews by Archive Authors on May 30th, 2003

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Thank you, Rockstar Games.

Thank you for creating the masterpiece of video gaming known as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. In doing so, you guys gave the finger to every special interest group and soccer mom clan in this country that likes to blame shoddy parenting on mature video games. Thanking Rockstar is a good thing in the aspect that we are lucky that there are still studios–like Rockstar–out there that will create mature games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for us to play. With…
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Father of the Bride

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 30th, 2003

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Synopsis

Spencer Tracy’s home life with wife Joan Bennet and daughter Elizabeth Taylor is disruptedwhen the latter falls in love and plans to get married. After Tracy gets over his initial suspicionsabout his prospective son-in-law, his hopes for a small, intimate, inexpensive wedding collapsethe as the event, gathering a life of its own, grows more and more monstrous in size. Enough tomake the fathers of any bride break into a cold sweat, this is good fun (though Taylor’s simpering…
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Eat a Bowl of Tea

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 30th, 2003

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Synopsis

Until the end of World War II, US immigration laws prevented Chinese women from movingto the States. The result was an almost exclusively male, and aging, population. The lawschanged after the war, and young Ben, much to his father’s delight, returns from China with anew bride. The entire community is interested in the couple, however, and the strain this createsthreatens the marriage.

Audio

The sound is mono, surprising for a film from 1989. A dece…
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Justice League: Justice On Trial

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 30th, 2003

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Synopsis

The Justice League is Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern,Martian Manhunter and the Flash. The first story, “In Blackest Night,” sees Green Lanternaccused of destroying an entire planet. “The Enemy Below” introduces Aquaman (a verydifferent one from the version older viewers might remember from their youth). The animation isa slight notch above the usual Saturday morning fare, and the look of the characters isinterestingly stylized, in the vein of the Ba…
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X-Men: Evolution – Mutants Rising

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

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Synopsis

Not unlike the New Mutants comic book, these are episodes which feature the heroes in thethroes of adolescence. Unlike the New Mutants, however, these are the X-Men themselves intheir youth: Jean Grey, Cyclops and so on. So in between fighting the Brotherhood of EvilMutants, they also have to worry about dating and homework and the whole bit. At least this discdoesn’t try to pretend it’s a feature film.

Audio

The sound is about par for TV cartoon tr…
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Better Than Sex

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

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Synopsis

Josh (David Wenham) is going to leave Australia in three days. He meets Cin (Susie Porter)at a party. The two share a cab, and Cin thinks that three days might be just right for a fun fling.This is what happens, and most of the film takes place in Cin’s apartment. There is some prettywitty, breezy stuff here, but there is also much familiar material about how men and women aredifferent, and did we really need yet another romantic comedy with asides where the characters,inte…
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Getaway, The (Playstation 2)

Posted in Game Reviews by Archive Authors on May 29th, 2003

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London is known for several popular things: Fish and Chips, Big Ben, the river Thames, but one thing it will probably never be credited for is being the centerpiece of an engaging, fun videogame–at least if one only looks as far as The Getaway. It’s a guarantee that nothing will confuse and frustrate players quicker than a game that can’t make up its mind what it is. Is it a movie? Is it a game? Well, whatever it is, it should choose a path early and then stick with it.

The plot…
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Experiment in Terror

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 28th, 2003

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Synopsis

Bank teller Lee Remick returns home one night to be grabbed in her garage by a terrifying,asthmatic killer. She will do as he says, he tells her, and rob the bank, or she and her sister willdie. Remick seeks the help of the FBI, and agent Glenn Ford is soon locked in a cat-and-mousegame with the killer. Rightly seen as anticipating the films of Brian De Palma and JohnCarpenter, Experiment in Terror combines police procedural with lurking menace, andhas a sequence in …
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Terminator 2

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

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This, the third DVD release of T2, reiterates the genius behind this film. With this disc, we are given the same extended edition and theatrical version as found on the Ultimate Edition release, but the new High Definition transfer found on this Extreme Edition makes this 10+ year old film look brand new.

This disc is set to play the 16-minute extended version of the film. If you prefer the theatrical version, on the main menu, go to Sensory Control, and hit the right arrow on your remote 5 times. After …
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Cheers – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 27th, 2003

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Synopsis

I presume a synopsis of Cheers would be redundant, because if you’re not familiar with theshow, than this review would hold no interest. Anyway, this first season sets up the bar and thecharacters, in particular the feuding love-hate relationship between Sam (Ted Danson) and Diane(Shelley Long). In fact, in the pilot episode, we see how Diane gets hired in the first place.

Audio

The sound (in 2.0) breaks down pretty much into three categories. The mus…
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Xbox)

Posted in Game Reviews by Archive Authors on May 27th, 2003

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Star Wars certainly is a mega-franchise. Not counting the films, the galaxy far, far, away has shown up in toys, lunchboxes, and other assorted paraphernalia. One thing that we didn’t have when the original trilogy made its way through the theater was a videogame based on the films.

That has changed dramatically over the last six or seven years with numerous Star Wars games coming to several different platforms. Arguably, many of those games were shoddy and fans agreed that they were not repre…
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Children of Dune

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 27th, 2003

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Synopsis

The revolution inspired by Paul Atreides has soured, turning into a galaxy-spanning crusadethat is not necessarily liberatory. Intrigue and conspiracy abound as various factions try toundermine Atreides, control him, or destroy him and his children. Combining the two books wasa smart move, since Dune Messiah on its own would be a rather unsatisfactory viewingexperience, and a bit of a downer. Combining the two makes for a much more completenarrative.

Audio< ...
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Real Women Have Curves

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 26th, 2003

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Synopsis

Ana (America Ferrera) is 18. She has just graduated from high school, and wants to go tocollege. For the summer, though, she is going to have to work in the garment factory with hermother and sister. Her mother (Lupe Ontiveros), meanwhile, is determined to make her fit thetraditional role of a Latino daughter, and Ana rebels. Body image, tradition versus youth, theLatino experience in the US, sweatshops: all these themes are skilfully braided together.

Audio< ...
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Shaft, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 26th, 2003

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Synopsis

The Millennium Building in New York has a problem: its central express elevator hasdeveloped a mind of its own, and is killing people. Even as horror movie concepts go, this ispretty preposterous, but what saves the film is its very awareness of its own preposterousness,and its willingness to go insanely over the top. So, on the debit side: the plot makes virtually nosense at all, with a great many threads left dangling; the post-synch voices are often ratherawkward, with t…
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Good Burger

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 26th, 2003

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Synopsis

Good Burger has been serving the community’s fast food need for years, but now, across thestreet, comes the colossal building that houses Mondo Burger, a mega-chain set on wiping outthe little guy. To Good Burger’s doubtful rescue come its employees, led by the clumsy Dexter(Kenan Thompson) and the sublimely stupid Ed (Kel Mitchell).

Audio

The stereo mix is in both 5.1 and 2.0 surround, and is very lively, especially when it comes tothe music. Thund…
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Atlantis II: Milo’s Return

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 26th, 2003

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Milo and company return in the follow-up to Disney’s Atlantis. In the original film Milo and company find the lost city of Atlantis and Milo stays behind to help rebuild it. Here he returns to the surface world to help with ancient creatures that are threatening that world. Follow along as they battle an ancient see monster, a coyote windstorm and an ancient Norse god and along the way discover the true power of the Heart of Atlantis.

Video

As is the case with most of the new Disney animate…
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Rescuers, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 26th, 2003

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Originally released in 1977 this is the first time that the original The Rescuers has been released on DVD. Follow the adventures Bernard and Miss Bianca of the mouse based Rescue Aid Society as they try and rescue orphan Penny. Penny has been kidnapped by the evil Madame Medusa and taken to the swamp of Devil’s Bayou to find a long lost pirate diamond.

Video

Disney has done a wonderful job of restoring the film for this disc. There is very little film grit visible and it is free of any ar…
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Paper Chase, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 25th, 2003

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Synopsis

Timothy Bottoms plays Hart, a first-year law student at Harvard. His existence centresaround a class taught by Kingsfield (John Houseman), a brilliant but utterly ruthless professorwho consistently humiliates his students, yet somehow acquires their unswerving loyalty. Hartalso begins an affair with a Susan (Lindsay Wagner), who turns out to be Kingsfield’s daughter.Though the film is never less than compelling, it does lack a centre. The characters are almostall cyphers or…
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Cloak and Dagger

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 25th, 2003

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Synopsis

Gary Cooper, unusually cast as an atomic scientist, is sent to Europe by the OSS to rescuescientists being forced to cooperate with the Nazi atom bomb project. During his mission, hehooks up with the Italian resistance, falling in love with the feisty Lilli Palmer. Though Langoriginally shot his 1946 thriller with more emphasis on the dangers of atomic power, WarnerBros. re-edited the flick, and most of that theme is now lost, reducing the nuclear angle to a mereHitchcockian McGuff…
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Clear and Present Danger

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 24th, 2003

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If Clear And Present Danger suffers from anything it is that it is overlong. As much as I like the film and its plot, there are times when I find myself checking the running time again to see how much longer the film is. There are also an incredible number of characters on both sides of the fence to keep track of: Ryan (Ford), Greer (Jones), Clark (Defoe), Ritter (Czemy) , Escobedo (Sandoval) , NSA Director Cutter (Yulin), Felix Cortez (Almeida), Ryan’s wife (Archer), Moira (Mangnuson), FBI Director Jacobs (Tammi) and the list goes on.

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