Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 2nd, 2007
A ferocious typhoon washes up a giant egg on Japan's coast. Unscrupulous entrepreneurs lay claim to it, planning to exploit it as a tourist attraction. The egg in fact belongs to Mothra, now nearing the end of her life cycle, and the twin fairies from Infant Island come to Japan in the hopes of having the egg returned. No such luck, but when Godzilla returns and begins another rampage, this time it is the inhabitants of Infant Island who are turned to for help in the hopes that Mothra will come to Japan's aid.
This was one of the Godzilla films that was least hacked about for its American release (the running times between the two versions here differ by less than 30 seconds), and of the first series of Godzilla films (running from the 1954 original to 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla, this is arguably the best after the first. Colourful and exciting, with lively monster battles that never undermine the dignity of the creatures, this is Toho at the top of its game.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 2nd, 2007
Turistas is a horror film about six hard-bodied 20-somethings whose vacation in paradise turns bad when they're drugged, robbed and kidnapped on behalf of a crazed doctor who wants to harvest their organs while they're still alive.
I think that about sums it up. Now let's talk about why this film isn't any good. First, while I realize characters in horror movies are supposed to fall into traps, never before have I seen characters this stupid. They don't just make one or two dumb choices. No, these kids take every single chance they get to put themselves in danger.Even when someone - in absolute terror - tries to warn them away from the evil doctor's home in the middle of the jungle, they insist on going anyway.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 1st, 2007
I’ve always been fascinated by ocean life much more than space. Sure, planets and stars are cool, but growing up I was reading books about sharks, not supernovas. That interest in the wonders of the sea has never really faded, so you can imagine that I was pretty stoked to watch IMAX: Deep Sea.
Unfortunately, I missed this one in theatres when it was IMAX: Deep Sea 3D. The only thing three-dimensional about this DVD release is the sweet lenticular slipcover. If you stare at the cover while you turn it slowly, a shark appears to swim up to have you for lunch. Nice.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 31st, 2007
Prior to this review, my familiarity with Jeff Foxworthy began and ended with his famous stand-up routine, "you might be a redneck if". That's how this comedian made it big back in the early to mid-90's, but his attempts at television, which is the usual next step for stand-ups, have failed.
And so, apparently, it goes for Foxworthy's Big Night Out, which aired last year on Country Music Television. This 2-disc release presents all 12 episodes of the sketch-comedy variety show that never really got off the ground. In the past, Foxworthy has explained his sitcom cancellations by arguing that the big networks just didn't know how to market his brand of common man, redneck comedy to a national audience. Surely, though, CMT is the place to be for Foxworthy. After all, country fans are just a bunch of gun-toting rednecks with single-digit IQs, right?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 31st, 2007
The Odd Couple on DVD was something that admittedly was a long time coming out on DVD. The set was previously available as a Time Life exclusive, and now Paramount has come to the rescue, releasing this as a standalone set. From the Neil Simon play (not to mention inspired by the 1968 film with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau), the show chronicles the lives of roommates Felix Unger (Tony Randall, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?) and Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman, 12 Angry Men), one's a neat freak, the other lives like a slob, and they live in New York.
The show could have easily capitalized on the success of the movie, but it helped break away from it by letting Klugman and Randall make the characters their own. In addition, their chemistry was also something that was crucial for the show's success, and it completely worked. Not to mention a guy named Garry Marshall helped get the show realized. Let me see, helped get Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley on air, not to mention writing for greats like Lucille Ball, Dick Van Dyke and Jim Nabors back in the golden days of television.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 31st, 2007
Admittedly after George Lazenby left the James Bond franchise when On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli wanted to go with a more American-based Bond in their seventh film, and were pretty serious in their intent. At one time, Adam West (yes, Batman) was even involved in negotiations to play the part. Actor John Gavin (Psycho) was signed and sealed for the role a week before principal photography started. But Sean Connery was pitched for it, a bunch of money was thrown at him, and he went upon his merry way to reprise the role that made him famous.
In this film, which was adapted from Ian Fleming's novel by Richard Maibaum (Goldfinger) and Tom Mankiewicz (Live and Let Die) and directed by Guy Hamilton (The Man with the Golden Gun), James finds himself at the beginning of the film thwarting yet another attempt at world domination, this time by Blofeld (Charles Gray, who ironically played a Bond ally in You Only Live Twice). SPECTRE does make a larger plan though, with the planned kidnapping and impersonation of a mysterious and reclusive Las Vegas-based millionaire, in order to proceed with nuclear testing with the goal of mutually based destruction.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 31st, 2007
Once Roger Moore left the Bond franchise (some would say three or four films too late), quite a few things left with him. When Timothy Dalton, whose most well-known work before this was an excellent supporting turn in The Lion in Winter, was brought in, several things seemed to change. First and perhaps most notably, the return of a James Bond that smoked cigarettes was most startling. Second, supporting characters like Lois Maxwell (who played Miss Moneypenny) and Bernard Lee (M) were replaced with younger, fresher (?) perspectives. Was all this change in the perspective of "modernizing" Bond worth it? Well, Dalton's role in The Living Daylights was the first of two Bond films, so easy come, easy go I guess.
In this installment, based on an Ian Fleming story that was adapted to a screenplay by current Bond producer Michael Wilson and Richard Maibaum (Diamonds are Forever), James helps a Russian general (played by Jeroen Krabbe, The Fugitive) defect to England from Russia, but he is unfortunately reacquired by the KGB and kidnapped. James is dispatched to Russia to kill the Russian general that was presumably behind it (played by John Rhys-Davies, The Lord of the Rings), and along the way encounters a beautiful musician named Kara Milovy (Maryam D'Abo, White Nights), who is also reaching out to the defecting general.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 30th, 2007
The first question I ask about any new version of a film is the obvious - is it better than the original? Same goes for Payback - Straight Up: The Director's Cut. Sometimes, the difference between versions is so minor that the answer is straightforward. In the case of this Special Collector's Edition DVD, however, we're talking about a very different film.
What's changed? I've seen the original a couple of times, but I'm definitely working from memory here. The director's cut is shorter, by about 10 minutes, and darker in tone. There's a new opening that doesn't explain what Porter is after, and his voice-over is gone This results in Porter being a meaner S.O.B. than in the original, as he does plenty of bad stuff before we learn what he's up to, and why his actions might be justifiable. Also absent are a lot of the jokes, which didn't sit well for me in the theatrical cut. Finally, the last third of the film is completely changed to something less complicated and less happy, with an extra shot of ambiguity.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 29th, 2007
Criterion has surprised me once again with this beautiful film. It amazes me ow they continue to find these “diamonds in the rough”. Films that couldn't possibly exist, yet here they are, widely available on the mas market. The Burmese Harp is a Japanese war film that is decidedly anti-war, and features some truly beautiful music.
At the end of World War II, a group of Japanese soldiers find themselves in Burma, held by British forces as prisoners of war. One soldier from the party has spent his free t...me in Burma learning to play a native harp. This skill proves valuable upon capture, until an unfortunate incident leaves him in a state where he is thought to be dead. Upon recovery, the soldier finds true enlightenment, and takes the viewer along on the journey.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 29th, 2007
Lovewrecked appears to be a standard teen movie chick flick, starring the likes of Amanda Bynes and Chris Carmack. Off the get-go the only things appealing to me about this movie are I get too see Chris Carmack on my TV for the first time since he played Luke on The OC and it takes place on a colorful island.
Jenny (Amanda Bynes) is a bookworm who just graduated high school and plans on attending medical school after the summer, during which she will be working at a resort with her best frien... Ryan. Ryan�s with her because he obviously has a thing for Jenny, and Jenny�s because she hears her favorite pop star, Jason Masters (Chris Carmack), frequents the resort. Before long Jason does show up, and Jenny competes for his attention with her rival, Alexis.
