Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 20th, 2009
Here is a rather strange fish. Imagine a series of very economical Blair Witch-style mockumentaries, featuring a different creature each week (giant lizards, giant snakes, werewolves, you name it). The “found footage” is interrupted every few minutes by actual footage of real animals related to the supposed monster while factoids parade on the screen. Most peculiar. Individual episodes have a certain ripe-cheese entertainment value, but you'll want to watch them in widely separated screenings, as the mockumentary approach feels repetitious and tiresome quite quickly. Viewers expecting to get their monster fix in will also likely be disappointed by the brief and unconvincing FX.
Hard to give a rating on this, since the footage is supposed to look raw (this is supposedly taped by the unfortunates who conveniently leave the camera running even as they are about to be swallowed up by the fearsome whatsit). The simulation is fairly effective, with all sorts of convincing grain and camera shake. The less frantic scenes are prone to a certain degree of aliasing, though that too is hard to blame on the transfer.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 19th, 2009
When we left J.D., Turk, and the rest of the staff of Sacred Heart Hospital at the end of their seventh season, there were good reasons to believe we had seen the last of Scrubs:
1) The show had suffered the lowest ratings in its history.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 19th, 2009
“It’s almost Christmas. Get into the spirit.”
Ever wonder what the kids of South Park might be like if they ever made it to adulthood? While I’ve not seen that many episodes of the FX series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, that was the first observation that came to mind. These are the South Park kids all grown up. They’re crude, raunchy, mean, and most importantly, they are as politically incorrect as ever. If you need an example, I can offer one right from this episode. The guys have a Christmas tradition that dates back to their childhood of throwing rocks at moving trains. An episode I caught a while back had two of the guys going to an abortion rally because they suspected that pro-choice chicks gotta be easy. Sound like anyone we know? If you love irreverent humor that’s not afraid to cross over the line, this F/X series has everything you’re looking for and without those silly construction paper animation limitations. These are real dudes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 18th, 2009
“Sometime in the 23rd Century the survivors of war, overpopulation, and pollution are living in a great domed city, sealed away from the forgotten world outside. Here in an ecologically balanced world, mankind lives only for pleasure, freed by the servo-mechanisms which provide everything. There’s just one catch. Life must end at thirty unless reborn in the fiery ritual of Carousel.”
Logan’s Run started life as a pretty successful novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. The source material was really quite dark and more like Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner than the 1976 film based on the work. For some reason it was decided that this dark reflection of the future wasn’t as marketable. So, the decision was made to make this a very bright film with only hints at the nefarious realities of this future world.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on November 17th, 2009
This is the comedic tale of a grocery store's young assistant manager (Seann William Scott) who believes he is the prime candidate to take over the soon-to-be built addition to the chain. This leads him to buying a house before the job is secured and lo and behold a hotshot Canadian (John C. Reilly) shows up in town from their sister company and begins campaigning for the job himself.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 17th, 2009
All aboard. The midnight train bound for Hell and parts unknown is now boarding, with brief stops in Hostel, Saw, and Turistas by way of the Terror Train line, we welcome you aboard. For your riding pleasure you’ll be entertained along the way by a group of college wrestlers who have just become unofficial organ donors, if you know what I mean. They’re just dying to make this ride as enjoyable as possible. There’s plenty of blood and gore for your riding comfort. Sit back and enjoy the fine Bulgarian countryside. Out of courtesy for your fellow travelers please turn off all cell phones for the duration of your voyage. There’s a pause button located conveniently on your remote control should you require an unscheduled stop. Please place food trays and any additional spare body parts you’ve brought with you securely under your seats. Should your film stop suddenly or begin to act in an erratic manner, try pushing buttons on your remote in a furious and random fashion. It won’t actually help, but studies have shown it will limit your discomfort and feeling of helplessness. Our estimated travel time is 94 minutes. Finally, please remember not to cover the ventilation slots of your equipment with the empty DVD case while the film is in motion.
The Indiana wrestling team is on an Eastern Europe tournament tour. Unfortunately, they’re not doing so well on the mats. When five of the players decide to break curfew and spend the night partying and brawling, they miss the train out to the next stop on the tour. The rest of the team has gone on ahead, and the coach has to buy tickets on an independent railway to get the five tardy players to the next stop. It looks like the five party animals weren’t the only ones making bad choices. Coach has booked his stragglers on a train ride to Hell. You know immediately that these aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed when they willingly give up their passports on the train to two pretty gnarly looking guys who claim they’ll keep them safe from thieves. Looks like another case of college co-eds with an average IQ somewhere south of Beavis and Butthead. Now they’re going to be taken on the ride of their lives … a very short ride at that. Nothing like a little clickety clack to go along with those screams and gurgles. This train has everything: food, booze, gambling, and fun with sharp objects as Dr. Velislava (Ruseva) runs a black market organ shop on rails.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 17th, 2009
For those Star Trek fans who can't afford the complete season box sets, here's an economical alternative: a single-disc collection of four popular episodes from various seasons. Present here are “Where No Man Has Gone Before” (a propulsion expert's change to the Enterprise's engines propels the crew to the edge of the universe), “Space Seed” (the episode, it need hardly be said, that brought us Khan), “A Piece of the Action” (wherein our gang gets to dress up like 20s gangsters) and “Journey to Babel” (a diplomatic mission turns into a disaster when, among other things, Kirk is stabbed and Spock's father has a heart attack). Strong episodes from a strong series.
The show looks terrific. In fact – purists take note – it looks better than it should. Yes, these are the same remastered prints as the last set of complete season releases, complete with enhanced special effects. So the show not only looks better than it did when first broadcast, it is sharper and has better FX than its Next Generation counterpart. The viewing pleasure is high, then, just not historically accurate.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 16th, 2009
So here we are for the third season of the farcical political adventures of NYC Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty (Michael J. Fox) and his crew. We follow them work to keep the buffoonish mayor (Barry Bostwick) in power and out of trouble, while finding plenty of time to get themselves into all sorts of predicaments. This is one of those shows that, back when it aired, struck me as clever, but not as clever as it could be, and that impression remains. The cast is a crack team of wits, and they bounce off each other with great energy and snap. There are numerous situations and plenty of lines that are funny indeed. And yet, there is a certain laziness to the humour, too. This is a comedy set in a the world of politicos and spin doctors, for crying out loud. The terrain is rich, so why do so many episodes revolve around time-worn sitcom scenarios (office hijinks, romantic pratfalls, punctured pride) that could show up in any context, and make little use of the show's particular world. There's a certain smugness to the sexual humour as well, like that of a seventh-grader who has just discovered the joys of talking dirty. Still, the show is fun, simply too easily satisfied with itself.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 16th, 2009
This is the fifth of seven seasons, so we are well into the series. Its groundbreaking nature (an unmarried, professional woman as a central character) has obviously long since ceased to be a novelty, and the show is, by this point in its existence, what one might call a fixture. This is merely by way of observation, and not a criticism, because the writing remains as strong as ever, and the show has stood up well to the test of time. Not every joke is a winner, of course, and there are plenty of situations whose outcomes are visible a mile off. So name the sitcom for which this isn't true. But it was the characters more than anything else that won audiences over, and the terrific chemistry of eccentricity and camaraderie is very much in evidence here. A good example of that camaraderie is in “The Outsider,” where a consultant is brought in to boost the ratings, and disrupts the easy functioning of the newsroom by imposing all sorts of unpopular changes. The wrap-up, which emphasizes humanity over ratings, is typical of the show's philosophy and spirit.
Though there is nothing wrong, as such, with the picture on display here, let's just say that this isn't a set to haul out in order to show off the capabilities of your big-screen TV. The picture quality is that of the original broadcast, essentially. So there's some flicker, some grain, and the image is a bit soft. The colours are decent, if tending a bit towards an overall tinge of brown.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 14th, 2009
Sacha Baron Cohen is no stranger to controversy. He premiered his wankster-rapper character Ali G on Britain’s satirical late night series The ll O’Clock Show in 1998. When he earned his own program on HBO in 2000, Da Ali G Show, he ticked off public figures like Donald Trump and Andy Rooney and duped numerous celebrities and athletes into falling for his comedic antics. He even appeared in the music video for Madonna’s Music. But it wasn’t until 2006’s surprise hit Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan that Cohen broke the U.S in a big way. Grossing over $260 million worldwide made Borat a cultural phenomenon and an instantly recognizable character.
Cohen has since retired Borat, but gave U.S audiences someone else to laugh with—or at, depending on your opinion 2009. Bruno was also repeatedly featured on Da Ali G Show, but he’s the main star here.
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