Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 6th, 2003
I had never heard of this movie before and when I first saw it I thought, well here’s a Steve Martin comedy that I’ve never heard of (probably because it is really bad…). However, Steve Martin plays this role straight and in doing so brings a lot of presence to the screen. Leap of faith tells the story of a con man named Reverend Jonas Nightengale who has made a career of separating the poor and uneducated from their money. He is in the midst of a tour when his tour bus breaks down in the backwater town of Rustwater,...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 5th, 2003
Rik Mayall (Drop Dead Fred) and Adrian Edmondson are the stars in this British comedy about two obnoxious loaners at the bottom of the food chain. Follow along with Richie Richard and Eddie Hitler on their quest for love and money as they try out pheromones, dating services and visit the carnival. This DVD collection contains all three seasons of the show for a total of 18 episodes.
Video
This disc contains a 1.33:1 fullscreen transfer of very good quality. The putrid green color of Richie and Eddie’s apartment comes through in all its grimy glory.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 5th, 2003
Synopsis
The Kids Are Alright is an combination of footage of performances by The Who(covering the fifteen years of their career up to 1979) and interview excerpts. There are all sortsof historic moments here, one of which occurs right off the top, where we see the band’sappearance on the Smothers Brothers TV show, where an overdone explosion set PeteTownsend’s hair on fire (and perhaps was responsible for his hearing loss). If you’re not a fan ofthe group, this will p...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 5th, 2003
Synopsis
Having been recaptured by the government at the end of the previous season (not to mentionalmost killed), Max (Jessica Alba) breaks loose at the start of this season. Also freed are otherexperiments, mutants who are very visibly mutants (their DNA was crossed with that of animals,for instance), ultimately leading to some very X-Men style battles with human prejudice. JamesCameron himself comes in to direct the final episode.
Audio
An energeti...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 5th, 2003
Synopsis
Cards on the table: I never watched the show, and so didn’t have the faintest idea what wasgoing on. Here’s the case summary: “It’s five years later and Dawson, Joey, Pacey, Jen and Jackare reunited in Capeside for Dawson’s mom’s wedding. But the celebratory mood comes to anend when they receive some heartbreaking news. As the gang faces a future more uncertain thanbefore, Joey struggles to come to terms with her true feelings for Dawson, Pacey and her currentboyfrie...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 5th, 2003
Synopsis
There are five episodes here, going all the way back to arrival of Santa’s Little Helper (in“Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”) and featuring such classics as the “Mr. Plow” episode.Admittedly, that one has more to do with snow than Christmas itself, but what the hell. Sure, thisis pure marketing (and don’t bother if you’re already buying the complete seasons in boxed sets),but there’s plenty of comic gold here too.
Audio
The sound is 2.0, a...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 5th, 2003
Synopsis
Ubiquitous B-movie bad guy Richard Lynch is clearing the Brazilian rain forest. Nativeprincess Laura Herring (or, as she is now known, Laura Elena Harring) arrives in LA hoping toconvince the chairman of the evil multinational to halt the destruction. She falls in love with thechairman’s son, and lot of dancing ensues. Utterly inane. Harring went on to much better thingsin Mulholland Dr.
Audio
The 2.0 sound is decent but unspectacular....
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 3rd, 2003
Synopsis
The pilot episode lets you know immediately that this is going to be a bit different from thebucolic Smallville stories we might be familiar with. The spaceship containing the child Kal-El(soon to be Clark Kent) doesn't arrive on its own: it is accompanied by many fragments of theplanet Krypton, which smash destructively into Smallville, killing the parents of Lana Lang (andalmost putting paid to a young Lex Luthor). Flash forward to the present, and we follow ClarkKent thr...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 3rd, 2003
Synopsis
Set in a dismal industrial park (appropriately named the Slough), the offices in questionbelong to Wernham Hogg, a paper company. Principle characters are insufferable boss DavidBrent, skeletal yes-man Gareth Keenan, cynical receptionist Dawn, and bored-out-of-his-skullsales rep Tim. The characters each get their turn speaking to the camera (especially thepsychotically pleased with himself Brent), and we see them interacting too. The tone is not unlikeLarry Sanders, and the...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 3rd, 2003
Arthur Hiller’s films are often quirky and funny like The In-Laws, but just as often confusing. The Hospital left me with a feeling that most of the material was over my head. At times Woody Allen, and at others Alan Greenspan. The jacket promises a look behind the scenes of the modern hospital. What we mostly get is a character study performed exceptionally by George C. Scott, but little else. Important subplots like the hospital’s takeover of a ghetto building are never really fully developed.
