Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 27th, 2005
It’s another case of mistaken identity that gets our boys (Abbott and Costello) in trouble, this time with a couple of gangsters. I’ve always been an Abbott and Costello fan but somehow missed this 1948 film over the years. It’s possible that because it was one of only a few pictures the duo did outside of Universal it did not enjoy the wide release their other works had. A few gems from the boys’ routines can be found. Look for the “horse eating his fodder” and “I’ll bet you you’re not here”. There is none of the Big Band Era song and dance routine to slow this film’s pace. It will certainly fly by you. If you like the boys, you’ll find this a pretty routine outing.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 27th, 2005
The Naked Truth is a 1958 British farce that benefits most from an excellent performance by Peter Sellers. Sellers plays Sonny Boy MacGregor as a comedic Lon Chaney. Each of Sonny’s characters is a complete package from the makeup to the accents. Moments of the inspired genius that would be better displayed in The Pink Panther films make this average production something more. The comedy is decidedly European in flavor and probably not for everyone. Most of the film slows when Sellers is not on the scene
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 27th, 2005
Synopsis
Anna Sophia Robb is a little girl named Opal, who has just arrived in the small town of Naomis with her single-parent father (Jeff Daniels), a preacher. Opal finds it hard to fit in and make new friends, until she adopts a rambunctious dog she finds in the Winn-Dixie supermarket. The dog’s extroverted nature helps make connections not only between Opal and the town, but between the townspeople as well.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 26th, 2005
Synopsis
In the year 2525, humanity has been forced to seek refuge deep in the earth from robots known as “Baileys.” The title character is a stripper from our century, who went in for a breast enhancement and wound up cryogenically frozen until now. Thawed out, a stranger in a dangerously strange land, she winds up joining forces with two other female freedom fighters.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 26th, 2005
Synopsis
The premise should be familiar to anyone interested in the third season: Jerry O’Connell and friends continue sliding from one universe to another, encountering a different alternate earth in each episode, always trying to find the way back home. The range of possibilities is naturally pretty wide, so our heroes wind up in a deadly war game show (granted not the most original idea), in a world devastated by electric tornadoes, and so on. It’s all done with engaging humour and energy, though ...he FX have aged noticeably (the opening scene of the first episode, where a plane goes down, boasts process work worthy of the original Star Trek). And the presence of John Rhys-Davies is, of course, always welcome.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 26th, 2005
Synopsis
Guarding a treasure of what looks like a few novelty store swords and chocolate dollar coins in a cave that could almost be the fabled Bronson Caverns of many a 50s B-movie is a monster that sometimes looks like a bad CGI centipede, but most of the time is a guy in a baggy rubber suit. The treasure, we are told, was left by Viking Conquistadors, and yes, you read that correctly. Why the alien monster is guarding the treasure is never explained. Anyway, the beast slaughters a bunch of people ...ho stumble on the cave, and the authorities put together a raggedy-ass group of preposterous mercenaries (goth girl in high-heeled boots???) and unbelievable government agents to find out what’s going on. Roped in as a woman who survived the attacks, and for some reason has a psychic link to the monster now. Everything goes wrong with their plan.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 24th, 2005
Synopsis
John Wayne plays Dooley, a transport pilot. He and his crew become lost over the frozen wastes of Labrador, and are forced to land in the middle of nowhere. A concerted search is launched for the missing men, and the film becomes a race against time as the rescuers search for a needle in a haystack, and the downed crew must survive with no food against unforgiving weather.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 22nd, 2005
Synopsis
In 1927, young Charlotte Hollis’ married lover (a young Bruce Dern) is hacked apart with a meat cleaver, and Charlotte’s blood-stained dress points to her as the murderer. There is never sufficient evidence, however, and she is never charged, but lives on as the subject of endless gossip, slowly going mad. In 1964, Charlotte (Bette Davis) is decaying as much as her house, which is about to be torn down to make way for a highway. She refuses to give up the house or her past, and, convinced th...t her lover’s widow is trying to driver her out of home and mind, calls cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland) to her aid, much to the displeasure of eccentric housekeeper Agnes Moorehead (in the role Una O’Connor would have played had the film been made in the 30s). Soon after Miriam arrives, all sorts of mysterious and terrifying events take place.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 22nd, 2005
In its early days of existence, I was a big fan of The Daily Show. I assumed that when Craig Kilborn left the show, it would die off (in much the same way that Talk Soup tanked after Jon Hensen left). Boy, was I wrong. Instead of fading away, the show took off beyond my wildest expectations. No longer a funny little show on cable, The Daily Show became a cultural and critical phenomenon. What was really surprising, however, is the political importance of the show, as guests went from the People M...gazine star of the week to such newsworthy personalities as Senator John McCain and Bob Dole.
In 2004, the show hit an even greater height with its coverage of the 2004 presidential campaign, cleverly titled Indecision 2004. It was this coverage that helped the program win a Peabody Award, as well as several Emmys. This hilarious DVD set includes the complete Daily Showcoverage of the election, including the Republican Convention, the Democratic Convention and live Election Night coverage, as well as some truly hilarious bonus features. For fans of politics and wry, daring humor, this is the DVD set for you.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 22nd, 2005
Synopsis
Many people have provided screwed up metaphors as to just how important Led Zeppelin has been to music in the last 35 years. So of course, I’ve gotta throw one in. Imagine today’s rock musicians as workers in a factory, all punching in and out for work at a time clock each day. Led Zeppelin is the clock. There really was nothing before it that could compare to it, and while there have been some imitators, real or implied (Whitesnake and Kingdom Come being two names from the 80’s hair band metal day...), not many things have matched the impact of the vocals by Robert Plant, Jimmy Page’s blistering, blues-rooted guitar solos, and the rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham. They were among the first to put radio-unfriendly songs on their albums, with many songs running past the 3 or 4 minute radio single time, some songs going 6, 7 or 8 minutes. And their live performances were legendary. Their performances symbolized the 70’s with sprawling, maybe even pretentious, versions of songs like "Dazed and Confused" or "Whole Lotta Love." Live versions of these songs stretched into the 20 to 30 minute duration. During these times, Page would break out a violin bow to play his guitar with, Jones would play mysterious organ pieces, and Bonham’s work epitomized the drum solo, with a mix of power and touch, sometimes using his sticks, sometimes using the same power when hitting the drums with his hands. The group managed a period of fanatical success from 1969 to 1980, culminating in the unfortunate death of Bonham.
