Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 5th, 2005
Synopsis
This series has a clever conceit, being a sequel to the 1953 version of H.G. Wells’ novel. In the present, a terrorist group breaks into the base where the Martian corpses and war machines are being held. Turns out the Martians aren’t dead after all, and they revive to re-embark on their quest to conquer the Earth. In a budget-conscious move, part of this plan of attack consists in possessing the minds of humans, thus hugely diminishing the effects budget. So new viewers shouldn’t expect any...hing like the recent theatrical film, or even too much like the 1953 film, either. There is plenty of action, and a number of other clever ideas in the episodes (stars of the original film showing up, plays on the Orson Welles radio program), but plenty of limitations, too.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 5th, 2005
While VeggieTales: Lord of the Beans is not my thing, I can certainly see how it would connect with very small children. Parents may also throw Phil Vischer and company some appreciation for the positive messages his bunch tries to present in each VeggieTales special, but something about Vischer and crew's latest doesn't feel right. For one, it's a parody -- and a rather faithful one -- to LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring. While it's fine to parody, I think VeggieTales misses the point with their chosen subject matter. True, Lord of the Rings is a very popular series, but to think the age group this is aimed at is familiar enough with the material to appreciate the parallels is ridiculous.
I'm not saying kids in general are unfamiliar with LOTR, or that they haven't seen it. I'm saying pre-schoolers, who will certainly get the most out of Lord of the Beans are most likely clueless to the material from which this special strives to mine most of its humor. You could say the creators made it a parody for the adults' sake -- and I will admit that was probably most of their intention. But again, Lord of the Beans fails because the humor never rises above a three-year old's mentality. And let's face it, at that age, all you'll probably find funny about VeggieTales is the first appearance of a talking cucumber melon with large eyes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 5th, 2005
Missouri Breaks starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson is an overlooked, under-appreciated western, which succeeds where most films fail -- as first a character study, and last an action piece. Set in Montana, Missouri Breaks tells the story of a fun-loving outlaw (Nicholson) and his comrades (including a much younger Randy Quaid and good old Harry Dean Stanton), who set out on a crime spree as a means of payback against an evil land baron responsible for the death of one of their friends.
eadly revenge is not their first intention, but the stakes are raised when the land baron hires "regulator" Lee Clayton (another reveling work in villainy by Marlon Brando) to teach the boys a lesson. Though Brando does have a tendency to steal every scene he's in, I found it a huge joy watching Nicholson remind me he is capable of more than just O.C.D. eccentricity. His role in the film fits with the snugness and perfection of a glove, to the point that I wish his resume included more westerns than it does.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2005
Synopsis
Wesley Snipes (Major League) and straight to video really provide for several comedic moments. I don’t really know that much about Snipes, aside from some anonymous reports about just how nice he was on the set of the third Blade movie, along with the “cataract problem” he has. Nevertheless, his role in this film of the strong, silent type who is some Army special forces member provides him the chance to say a small amount of dialogue for what is presumably a lot of cash.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2005
Written by Clayton Self
Long Way Round is a reality show/documentary in which two actors, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, trekked 20,000 miles around the world on their motorcycles. They started in London, and headed east through Russia and other countries, caught a short flight to Alaska, continued down through Canada and all the way to New York. It was an idea originally conceived by McGregor as a best friend road trip, but turned into an international spectacle, as millions of people shared their experience via television. A...series that spanned seven episodes, documented their journey via cameras attached to their helmets, bikes and a third motorcycle driven by their cameraman, Claudio. Two support vehicles stayed a few hundred miles behind on the main roads to meet up with the guys at each border they crossed to make sure their supplies and medical needs were met.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2005
Synopsis
I haven’t seen The Hours. And I haven’t seen Chicago. And while all the Oscar talk seemed to revolve around either Kidman or Zellweger, after seeing Far From Heaven, I’ve gotta think that the wrong woman got the brass ring. Or gold little guy, whatever. Julianne Moore (who was also nominated in The Hours) does an outstanding job in this movie, set in 1957 Hartford. Moore plays Kathy Whitaker, the wife of a man (Dennis Quaid, Innerspace) who she surprises at work w...th dinner one night. The tables are turned when she discovers him in the arms (and mouth) of another man. What sets this movie apart from other films which are set in the 50’s or 60’s is the amazing grasp that writer-director Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine) has on the times in terms of his story. The word "homosexuality" isn’t uttered for some time after Kathy walks in on Frank. Frank (Quaid) seeks therapy after consulting his wife, and he talks of his "problem" as if he were talking about alcoholism. Moore’s friend Eleanor (Patricia Clarkson, The Green Mile) talks about another person being "light in the loafers." Eventually, Moore finds comfort when interacting with her gardener, Raymond (Dennis Haysbert, 24), who is widowed, with a daughter. The looks and reactions she receives from the townspeople when it comes to her talking with, even touching Raymond, are astonishing, almost ridiculous. Frank even voices his displeasure at this in a jaw-dropping scene. All the while, Kathy tries to maintain the good appearance of her household, holding a dinner party for guests, keeping Frank’s behavior a secret to the public, and later, almost accepts Frank’s homosexuality in order not to disrupt the life she’s become accustomed to. After the dinner party, Frank hits Kathy, and Eleanor comes over the next day, to find the bruise on Kathy, and Kathy’s reticence in not admitting the fact that Frank hit her, disappoints Eleanor, and to a lesser extent, Kathy. There is a scene where Kathy and Frank are in Miami, and we see Kathy at the swimming pool, wearing rose colored sunglasses. Those sunglasses sum up Kathy’s existence, doing what she can to keep up her good community standing, despite robbing herself of the pleasing times she has with Raymond.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2005
Old Yeller is a hard film to take if you're a child. I thought the same would be true as an adult, so needless to say, revisiting this family classic for the first time through an adult's eyes promised to be a harrowing experience. In fact, for the longest time, I hated Old Yeller and berrated its merits as a film. I realize now after years of maturity and a second visit to the Coates family ranch my belittling of this film masterpiece was a defense mechanism to build up my own sense of machismo. The re...lity is Old Yeller is a darling film with a message, and a powerful one at that. But not one of those same old tired political messages too many films try to infuse in their narratives these days. No, rather than trying to push a specific viewpoint, Old Yeller brings something valuable to the table and teaches us all how to love and cope instead of how to think.
I'm sure there aren't many who haven't themselves been out to the ranch a time or two to visit Katie, Jim, Travis, Arliss, and the Old Yeller dog, but for safety's sake, I will avoid giving away the powerful ending, or any other significant spoilers. The plot centers around the hate-to-love relationship between teenage Travis Coates (played well by Tommy Kirk) and an enormous, lovable stray dog christened Old Yeller. It's against Travis's will the dog comes into his life, but in the end, the dog will find no greater friend than this young man quickly budding into maturity. For about three months, Travis is left as man of the house, while his father heads away on business, and in this critical three-month period, Travis learns what it means to sacrifice of himself for others. Perhaps most critical of all, he discovers one of the most difficult lessons there is with love. No matter what happens, we know by the end of Old Yeller Travis Coates will be just fine... and that the world will be a better place because of him. Travis is truly an inspiring character, but we also learn what Travis becomes could never be possible without the Old Yeller dog.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2005
Synopsis
Dag Yngvesson sets out to the San Fenando Valley to investigate the way the porn filmmaking world works. His first contact is with veteran actor Bill Marigold, who now sees himself as a sort of den father (to coin a phrase) to other performers. With help from Marigold, our documentarist lands one contact after another, some plenty disturbing, and before he knows it, he is being asked to be cameraman on a porn feature himself. The emotional climax follows returning star Jenna Fine’s struggle ...o stay off drugs when her ex-boyfriend is released from prison.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2005
Hondo is something of an oddity among John Wayne films. For starters, it was a western not directed by Howard Hawks or John Ford, but by John Farrow, a director Wayne only teamed up with one other time in his career (a WWII film called The Sea Chase). This is also a very tightly edited film, clocking in at just 83 minutes, including an intermission! Though he had certainly performed in his fair share of westerns by this time, Hondo came a couple of years before the release of the long series of w...sterns that John Wayne is most famous for.
The film, based on a short story by Louis L'Amour, tells the story of a drifter and his dog that come upon a woman and her son living alone on the plains, and becomes their protector against the Native Americans that roam in the area. When the woman's estranged husband shows up, however, trouble starts, and this basic western story becomes something that deals more with tolerance secrets and lies than with ropes and cattle.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 4th, 2005
Synopsis
On its surface, Almost You is potentially interesting. Considering the mid-‘80s production, you have Griffin Dunne, about to appear in Scorsese’s After Hours, but had already appeared in An American Werewolf in London. In this film, he is married to Brooke Adams, a.k.a. Mrs. Tony Shalhoub (Monk), but before that, had appeared in Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven, and had her own experiences in horror, appearing in The Dead Zone. As husband and wife, Dunne’s ...haracter Alex feels rapidly disenchanted with their marriage, and says so just before they are about to leave on a trip to Erica’s (Adams) parents.
