Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 30th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 21st, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 14th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 12th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 8th, 2004
It seems to me that B-level actors sometimes agree to do a movie for the experience and practice as much as to further their career and get a paycheck. Other times, the opposite is true, and major stars purposely chose to do a small independent production following a major success, knowing that they could never top their last picture. Often times, it is obvious when an actor has their personal motives in mind when choosing to do a film. Kate Winslet's decision to shoot Hideous Kinky following the hugely-succes...ful Titanic comes to mind, as does Elijah Wood's decision to take part in All I Want, following his work on The Lord of the Rings.
These films are usually great for everybody except the audience. The obscure filmmaker gets a "name" in their film, the actor gets to work in a more relaxed environment, everybody gets to work a little and the studio will hopefully break even in the accounting department. The film is almost secondary, and while the finished product usually has a bit of low-budget charm, it's certainly not going to be an award winner.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 3rd, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 28th, 2003
Casablanca. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The Big Sleep. TheMaltese Falcon. To Have and Have Not. All legendary titles, all among the very bestmovies Hollywood has ever made. Terrific adventures and mysteries, the fit together as acollection in fascinating ways, beyond simply having Bogart as the lead. To Have and HaveNot is structurally very much like a more upbeat version of Casablanca. TheMaltese Falcon is frequently held up as the first film no...r, and The Big Sleep comefrom the peak of the noir period. To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep alsogive us the incredible screen chemistry of Bogart and Bacall. The former film is Bacall’s filmdebut, and her arrival has the same effect as the Hindenburg’s at Lakehurst, NJ: she doesn’t justlight up the screen, she incinerates it. If you love movies at all, you owe it to yourself to see allof these films. Again, and again, and again.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 28th, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 17th, 2003
I hate to see great ideas go to waste. These days, it's rare that anyone ever has any new ideas in Hollywood. Everything has been done before, usually more than once. Sometimes concepts are adapted, and sometimes whole films are re-done… the most blatant slap in the face of creativity. When a film comes along that actually is original, I get excited. In fact, I'll even settle for a new twist on an old story. I get so tired of the same old thing, that even an ounce of creativity goes a long way with me.
It i... with this spirit that I morn for this film. Sure, this type of thing has been tried before, but not exactly in this way. It is basically a new thought… poison a dinner party, so that they might be given the chance to purge themselves of their wrongdoings, and live new lives, free from their secrets and burdens of guilt. Always before, films in the horror and suspense genres have involved an antagonist that kills out of spite, evil, or some other wrong spirit. This one, however, is doing everything he can to give his friends a better life. That is a new and exciting twist.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 1st, 2003
Synopsis
