Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 2nd, 2004
Quite possibly my favorite part of this job is checking the post on the day that my new box of DVD screeners are scheduled to come in. Sometimes, I know what is coming to me, and the new box means that it is time to get down to business. Other times, however, there is a surprise inside, much like the new box of cereal that made its way home with the groceries when I was a child. Upon reviewing the parcel’s contents, I will either be greatly pleased with my employer, or I will be filled with immediate dread, knowing t...at many nights of misery lie in my future.
This is one of those titles that, unfortunately, falls into the latter category. Now, I’m not anti-musical, and I am most certainly not anti-classic film. I am very much unlike most men on that point. Having said that, I do like a little plot in my three-hour films. This is a picture that has so many stage-performed musical numbers, it actually opens to an overture. I am a fan of the theater, but I am of the opinion that a film should be a film, and the theater, the theater. I don’t want to watch a play captured on film any more that I wish to go to a play and watch a movie.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 1st, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 30th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 29th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 28th, 2004
When I first glanced over the cast of this film, I was certain that it was shot in the 80’s. These days, names such as Deborah Harry, Ally Sheedy, Ralph Macchio and Robin Givens just don’t show up together on a movie poster. Of course, this is no ordinary gangster film, either. In fact, for a director trying to make a name for himself, this casting strategy is pretty brilliant. If Quentin Tarrantino has taught us anything, he has taught us that old actors don’t lose their chops, they just become less fashionable. If ...ou can get a name with skill at a bargain rate, then by all means, do so.
From the opening title sequence, I was hooked on the visuals of this film. It is clear that Singer has fun as a director, and that enthusiasm bleeds over into the feel of the film. In fact, the whole piece is cut like a feature-length trailer, with lots of action going on behind the camera, and respectable acting in front of it.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 28th, 2004
I spent many an evening as a child watching the Peanuts gang in one of their famous holiday specials. I looked in my backyard for The Great Pumpkin at Halloween, and I often times decorated my very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree at Christmastime. Obviously, I was not alone in my enjoyment of these cartoons, as the very same shows are aired even now, during the appropriate time of year.
The popularity of these cartoons has not escaped the attention of the estate of Charles Schultz, either. In an attempt to...keep a good thing going, the Peanuts gang is back in an all new special, Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown. Often times, any effort to capture the magic of a classic in an all-new feature fails miserably, but thank goodness that is not the case here. This special is just as much fun as the originals were, complete with the determined spirit of underachieving Chuck, the cruel nature of loudmouth Lucy, and the mannish (dare I say homosexual?) tendencies of Marci.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 28th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 28th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 27th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 27th, 2004
Ahh, those funny little Kids from Canada. I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point in the 90’s, The Kids in the Hall became North America’s answer to Monty Python. Now, that’s not to say that the Kids are as classically funny as the Pythons, but the similarities run rampant nonetheless. Both troupes had a very successful sketch comedy television series, in which many of the all-male cast dressed in drag. Following the success of their respective shows, they both explored what feature films might conta...n. Following this exploration, they both performed some of their classic material before a live audience. The last part of the puzzle is the emergence of one of the cast members as a serious Director; for the Pythons, it was Gilliam, and for the Kids, it’s Bruce MuCulloch.
Just to make this clear yet again, I am certainly not saying that Gilliam and MuCulloch are equals in the world of film… far from it. I can say, however, that McCulloch is off to a good start, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him evolve into a talented comedy director in the future. Dog Park is a basic romantic comedy, with indie sensibilities and a twisted view of dog owners. Think Best in Show meets When Harry Met Sally.
