Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 25th, 2004
Synopsis
There’s nothing really to summarize about these films. Their reason for being, after all, is simply to present clips from classic MGM musicals. The first film, released to huge success in 1974, set the pattern, with various big stars (Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Gene Kelly and so on) narrating different segments of a potted history of the MGM musical. That’s Entertainment, Part 2 (1976) broadened its scope to include comedy and romance scenes as well. The third film didn’t arrive...until1994, and dug deeper into the vaults to feature many scenes that were previously unseen because they were cut from the original releases. There’s something a little bit dubious about watching just the big numbers from famous films and stripping them of context (and the clips are very frequently not presented in their entirety anyway), and anyone looking for a serious documentary about MGM is better off looking elsewhere. There is still an enormous amount of material here, much of it now rare or hard to find. Simply bear in mind that the effect of watching these films is not unlike viewing a multi-hour marathon of Oscar night tribute compilations.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 23rd, 2004
The time: Prohibition. The smell of bootleg gin and the sound of bullets lingers in the urban air. It’s Chicago. It’s Good vs. Evil. Elliott Ness vs. Al Capone. Kevin Costner vs. Robert DeNiro. Brian De Palma directs this wonderful period piece. The film drips with as much stylish atmosphere as outlawed booze. I’m not sure if the credit belongs to David Mamet’s imaginative script or De Palma’s direction. Both were at the top of their game with this film. Sean Connery must certainly bear mention as the no nonsense me...tor Malone. In less than 20 years this film has easily earned its classic status. It’s hard to believe that Andy Garcia was an unknown at the time.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 22nd, 2004
Synopsis
Brian Benben is a book editor. He is still madly in love with his ex-wife, but his dreams of getting back together with her are smashed by her upcoming marriage. And “dreams” is very much the operative term here, since Benben’s emotional reactions to the world around him are daydreams in the form of B&W clips from old films and TV shows. Exec-produced by John Landis, the series follows Benben’s misadventures (primarily with the opposite sex), and features plenty of Big Name guest appearances...(David Bowie, Fran Drescher, etc.). Dream On beat Ally McBeal to the punch with postmodern collage, and there is no denying that there’s some fun editing going on here. On the other hand, the clips aren’t exactly subtle or necessarily very original (tree going up at moment of sexual arousal, tree going down at interruption, har har har). There is some snap to the writing, and enough witty moments, but in the final analysis, this isn’t a whole lot more than your average sitcom. Simply replace laugh track with HBO-style language and content.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 21st, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 19th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 18th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 17th, 2004
Synopsis
This is a redemption movie – in this case, redemption for CIA assassin (“counter insurgent expert”) John Creasy – a burnt out alcoholic in search of forgiveness for the heinous acts perpetrated under the banner of his job (“Do you think God will ever forgive us for what we’ve done?”). Creasy’s path to redemption is laid out by his friend and compatriot Rayburn, who lands him a job as a bodyguard for a wealthy family in Mexico City. Apparently kidnapping the children or spouses of wealthy cor...orate types is a highly profitable enterprise, and the corrupt police force and organized crime community work together to make it pay off. Creasy’s role as bodyguard centers around protecting Pita Ramos - the daughter of a Mexican auto-parts magnate – an exceedingly cute, exceedingly non-Mexican little girl with a heart of gold that brings Creasy back from the brink self-immolation.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 17th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 16th, 2004
What Science Fiction fan has not read Ray Bradbury’s groundbreaking book, The Martian Chronicles. The book is not really a novel, but a series of shorter works that follows the settlement of Mars. Even though the Martian canals of medieval times were already disproved by the 1940’s when Bradbury began the project, he insisted on conforming his Martian landscape to such fancy. The series of works translate well to the mini-series format; however, the necessary f/x to pull it off just weren’t available in a 1980 TV bud...et. Cast members like Rock Hudson and Darren McGavin help to elevate the made-for-TV simplicity of the script. The mini-series is a direct allegory to European exploration and eventual exploitation of North America. The Martian natives succumb to human disease and commercial spirit much like Native Americans during the time of the conquistadors.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 16th, 2004
Season 4 of Voyager is most notable for the addition of Jeri Ryan’s Seven Of Nine character. The stories grew a bit more complex. The season appears to have regarded style above substance in year 4. There is a modest attempt to develop a mother/daughter kind of relationship between Seven Of Nine and Janeway. The problem is that, like the potential for conflict inherent with the addition of the Maquis members of the crew, this conflict is all to often resolved in a Brady Bunch “What have you learned from this, Seven ...f Nine” formula. No question the Borg and Species 8472 offer a better group of adversaries than the Kazon were ever capable of. I judge this season to be one of bright moments and missed opportunities.
Season Synopsis
