Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 18th, 2007
Let me begin here by saying that I�ve never found any film based on the Vietnam War good. I assume this stems from that everything I�ve ever known or been taught about the War shows that (I apologize in advance for those who get offended) the War was not necessary (this said by my Uncle who fought in the War). Every Vietnam film I�ve tried to enjoy from Born on the Fourth of July to Platoon I just couldn�t as this little reminder always poked in the back of my mind. I should honestly scratch that last sentence as I�ve found the first Vietnam film that I absolutely found excellent.
I suppose the best way to describe a film like Deer Hunter, even though its predominately towered by the power of the events of the Vietnam War, is a film that takes place over three sections. The first section involves a wedding ceremony attended by honest hard-working fellows who want nothing but their great life to continue. Then we are met with the middle section, which is definitely the most powerful section as it takes anything I�ve known about the Vietnam War (intense horror) and basically showcases it on the screen in front of me.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 18th, 2007
This is the second volume of Pluto cartoons, here going from 1947 to the end of the series in 1951. The neat thing about these themed collections in the Wald Disney Treasures series is that they highlight particular strengths in Disney’s animation. Thus, if the Silly Symphonies sets focus on the marriage of movement with music, the Pluto cartoons are wonders of pantomime, since the central character doesn’t speak. Pluto is not a jot less communicative for not using words, however, and the sight gags involved in some of his facial expressions (such as when wearing the unwanted “Pluto’s Sweater”) are priceless. Pluto’s frequent sidekick Figaro the cat has the spotlight to himself in three bonus cartoons.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 18th, 2007
Alexandra Holden is a big-time TV reporter who is traumatized when an intruder breaks into her home and kills her fiancé. (Does this set-up remind anyone of The Howling?) She retreats to her old home-town, moves back with her parents (Sid Haig and Leslie Easterbrook!) and starts work at a local TV station. Her first assignment takes her to a house where murders took place years ago, and she promptly has visions of ghosts and the murders, and she feels she is being called on to provide justice for the ghosts. Their still-living killer has other ideas, however.
The counter-casting of Haig and Easterbrook (most recently together in The Devil’s Rejects) as overly protective parents is enjoyable perverse, but the movie itself has the rather plodding, pedestrian feel of a late-70's made-for-TV flick. The dialogue is frequently awkward and excessively expository, and the characters aren’t always consistent. There are a couple of decently assembled jolts, but there isn’t really much here to lift things out of the run-of-the-mill.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 18th, 2007
I'm sure we all remember when it was rumored that Brett Ratner was going to direct Superman Returns and Bryan Singer was going to direct the third X-Men film. Well we all know how that one turned out. Ratner made a decent film while Singer made a better film but not without it�s own faults.Superman Returns takes place roughly five years after the events of Superman II. Superman aka Clark Kent (portrayed by Brandon Routh) has left on a journey back to his home planet of Krypton. Upon returning, Superman notices everything is different. Most important to him is that Lois Lane (portrayed by Kate Bosworth) is married (and worse off has a child). Superman learns that Lois was kind of pissed that he suddenly zoomed off without saying goodbye to her and everyone else. In fact she was so angered by his sudden departure that she wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning article on �Why the World Doesn�t Need Superman� (something that obviously hurts Clark).
Superman�s arch enemy, Lex Luthor (this time portrayed with little to no emotion by Kevin Spacey) is out of jail (yes like a common sense world would release a super criminal like Luthor out just because Superman couldn�t testify) and is ready to create more havoc. This time Luthor intends to use a few kryptonite crystals to make cities right in the middle of the ocean. And what is Luthor�s goal in this? Why to make money of course (imagine the cost he asks). Doesn�t Luthor have enough money?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 17th, 2007
Invincible (2006) marks the latest in a string of sports-underdog films from Disney, following such hits as 2002's The Rookie and 2004's Miracle. This time, we have a film inspired by the real-life Cinderella story of Philadelphia Eagles' alumnus Vince Papale.
Papale's story is so similar to that of fictional Philadelphia son, Rocky Balboa, that calling Invincible a remake of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky isn't much of a stretch. But then, the sports long-shot genre is tried and true, so as far as my enjoyment goes, I have few issues with this film's formulaic plot.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 16th, 2007
Def Comedy Jam Classics: Martin Lawrence contains a few hearty laughs in between heaps of "f-this, f-that, f-to the point where it is no longer a curse word and becomes simply an overused adjective" and sexually explicit material. Many of the comedians featured on this disc seem to be delivering material purely for shock value before an audience that does their best to encourage. As a result, most of the comedy lacks a genuine feel, and that includes the offerings we get from Mr. Lawrence himself. That's n...t to say I found the release a total waste. Dave Chappelle and Chris Tucker show up in early turns proving that funny doesn't have to be a learned trait. These men were just as strong on the mic then as they are now. While their material sticks to the tried-and-true, sex-and-cursing formula, their delivery stands out from the rest of the pack, causing them to come off more as innovators than copycats.
The same cannot be said for every other comic on the disc, including D.L. Hughley, Garfield, Maestro, and comedienne Chocolate. Most are doing their worst impressions of an early Eddie Murphy routine, and the stacked audience hoots and howls as if they are being treated to the real deal. Ultimately, I can see two realities in watching this release: one, why so many comics didn't make it; two, why Chappelle and Tucker did.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 16th, 2007
Halfway through The Celestine Prophecy, I was exasperated and ready to turn it off. If I hadn't been watching it for this review, I would have, and would have been better for it.
When this DVD came across my plate, my interest was piqued. I'd never heard of the film, or the worldwide bestselling book it's based on, and the cover quote said, "...a huge leap forward in spiritual adventure films." My first thoughts were, "if it's based on a bestseller, maybe it has a great script" and "hey, I didn't even know there was a spiritual adventure genre".
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 16th, 2007
10 years ago, Clerks was released, appealing to the ever-growing population of the subculture of slackers. For a generation of grunge-music-listening, going-nowhere, fast-food-working young adults, Clerks became a cult favourite. With the release of Clerks II, I�m sure the very same people are attracted to this title, whether they have grown up and want to revisit that nostalgic feeling, or are still flipping burgers and living the slacker lifestyle. Whether you live in your parents� basement or ...ou�re an upstanding citizen, Clerks II appears to be a slapstick movie that everyone can enjoy.
Clerks II picks up just where the original left off. Randall (Brian Anderson) and Dante (Brain O�Halloran) are still working their dead-end jobs at the Quickie Mart. Their days consist of one sarcastic quip after another, and of course the barrage of insults for every customer that walks through the door. But one day their world is turned upside down when a fire demolishes the Quickie Mart, forcing them to find employment with Mooby�s, the local fast food joint. Life here continues much as it did back at their other job, with the exception of the new boss, Becky (Rosario Dawson), with whom Randall appears to be infatuated. Aside from documenting the daily tribulations of a burger flipper, Clerks II actually has a plot; Randall finally has a chance to grow up and make something of himself, as he is engaged and ready to move to Florida. Of course, this doesn�t sit well with best friend and man-child Dante, but more importantly Randall is ultimately unsure if it�s what he wants as well. As the movie plays out, some hilarious dialogue as well as some dismal humour is thrown our way. Our two protagonists have to make some important life decisions, such as, are they ready to turn their backs on their slacker lifestyles?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 15th, 2007
Jaleel White continues to flounder about aimlessly looking for a post-Family Matters career in Who Made the Potatoe Salad?, a mindless 90-minute excursion into the offensively cliched family comedy. Looking for laughs in all the wrong places, this effort from writer-director Damon "Coke" Daniels tries to cash in on every dirty race-driven joke it can think of without once pausing for a breath of originality. White plays, of all things, a police officer, who decides the time is right to move his relati...nship forward with the gorgeously awful Jennia Fredrique. That's where the film takes a turn from the familiar to the overdone. Of course, her family disapproves right away, led by her former Black Panther daddy, who believes all cops are pigs. Lucky for White, he picked the right profession to set Daddy Dearest up with every "been there, done that" joke in the book.
As for White's performance, I suppose he is a capable actor, but there are portions of this film where he disappears for what feels like an eternity, so the less than stellar cast can result to every outrageous gangland quip and situation to push the film along to its well-deserved R-rating they can think of. Of course, the real fault lies with Daniels' humorless script and direction. Family comedies, both dirty and clean, should connect with viewers on the grounds we can see our own lives reflected in the situations and character play that arise. All of this film seems as staged as a suspicious crime scene, where the characters react based on the needs of the script - and that, ladies and gentleman, is an ass-backwards way to write any work of fiction.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2007
Warner Bros. had the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, Disney had the Silly Symphonies. This is the second volume collecting those shorts, covering the years 1929 to 1938. The shorts are selected on a menu that can be presented in alphabetical or chronological order, and it is the latter approach that is the most enlightening, as we can see the cartoons evolve. There is no dialogue in these shorts – the point was to fuse animation and music. And while that is an end in itself in the earlier cartoons (and quite the technological feat at that), more and more narrative content develops over the years. The culmination of this form of animation would, of course, be Fantasia, and in such early pieces as “Hell’s Bells,” one can see in embryonic form the ideas that would become, for instance, the “Night on Bald Mountain” segment.
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![The Deer Hunter [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-deer-hunter-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
