Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 23rd, 2002
Synopsis
Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan), is on his way home from visiting his father at the hospital when he finds a human ear. He turns the ear over to the police, but the mystery eats at him, and, with the help of a detective's daughter (Laura Dern), he begins his own investigation. Very quickly, he gets in over his head, becoming involved with the masochistic Isabella Rossellini, and her deeply disturbed, deeply sadistic boyfriend, Dennis Hopper (in his most terrifying role).
This is...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 18th, 2002
Film
The Mothman Prophecies is a nice little thriller. This Richard Gere film is quite dark and mysterious. The story and film are both hit and miss, but overall, it’s a good view.
“Distraught by the sudden, tragic death of his wife (Debra Messing), John Klein (Richard Gere), a journalist for The Washington Post, finds himself mysteriously drawn to a small West Virginia town when his car inexplicably strands him. Rescued by the sympathetic but skeptical local police sergeant...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 8th, 2002
WOW! This is one of the most unique and fascinating films ever made… and this DVD release is equally as amazing. If you have never been introduced to Memento, this is your chance. This film works like no other (not counting “The Following” – Christopher Nolan’s first film), running backwards rather then sequentially. And let me tell you, once you have found the Easter egg that contains the film played sequentially, this film will take on a whole new life.
“In MEMENTO, Guy Pearce ("L.A. Confidential")...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 17th, 2002
The case features Drew Barrymore front and centre, but don’t be misled. This is a 1997 effort, and Barrymore’s star was still on the (re)ascension. She has a supporting role in this crime story, yet another smart-aleck tale to come in the wake of Quentin Tarantino.
Synopsis
Luke Wilson (doing his best Nicolas Cage impression) has just been released from prison. He is picked up by his friends to be driven to the church to marry Drew Barrymore, but along the way, one of them (Patrick Flannery) decide...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 10th, 2002
Let me start off by saying that “The Cell” is not for the timid. It can be as disturbing as it is visually stunning. On the surface this is a serial killer thriller but in reality the film is much more. Elements of suspense and graphic horror combine with a science fiction premise that one can enter the dreams of another person. It’s hard not to make comparisons with the 1980’s film “Dreamscape”; both have created elaborate larger than life dream worlds where if you die in your dream you die in reality. “The Cell” goes much further with its stark contrasts of often gritty environments followed by lavish and brightly colored settings.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 9th, 2002
Intro
This was a very interesting crime thriller. The acting was quite good, and the triple-crossing plot was very unique. It is too bad that a film such as this would get a bare-bones DVD release.
Synopsis
“Question: What makes the world go round?
Joe Moore (Gene Hackman) has a beautiful young wife, money owed to him, and a job he loves. He’s a thief. His job goes sour when he gets caught on security camera tape. His fence, Bergman (Danny DeVito) reneges on the ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 13th, 2002
“Can you summon your talent at will?” This is a question from Satan himself in the The Devil’s Advocate. For Al Pacino I would say the answer is a resounding yes. Pacino has been making us offers we just couldn’t refuse for 30 years. Just a list of his exceptional films would require more space than I have here. You’ll find this film to be one of his more underrated gems.
Synopsis
Kevin Lomax (Reeves) is a hot young lawyer with an uncanny ability to pick a winning jury; in fact he’s never lost.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 29th, 2002
Intro
This is the new film from writer/director Scott Reynolds, who brought us The Ugly, a stylishly weird psycho-thriller from a few years back.
Synopsis
Radha Mitchell runs a diner and a motel by herself in a middle-of-nowhere little town. One morning, she opens her diner and strange young man comes in. He’s been stabbed in the gut, and he needs her help. He’s terrified of a group of surfers who arrive shortly after him. He says they’re after him. Should Mitchell believe him?
I...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 22nd, 2002
Intro
I was quite interested in viewing this film, and I must say, it did not disappoint. Don’t Say a Word is a very suspenseful film with great acting and an interesting storyline.
Synopsis
“When the daughter of a prominent New York psychiatrist (Douglas) is kidnapped, his only hope for her safe return is to pry a 6-digit number from the memory of a troubled teenage girl – and time is running out!”
Audio
This film sounded great on DVD… in both DTS and Dolby Digital...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 3rd, 2002
It’s one of the oldest childhood nightmares: your parents die, and evil guardians take over your life. The story has been told by countless fairy tales. The Glass House transposes the tale to contemporary California.
When Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and Rhett (Trevor Morgan) are orphaned, they are taken into the care of Terry and Erin Glass (Stellan Skarsgård and Diane Lane). This couple seems to good to be true, and, of course, they are. Erin is a junkie, and Terry is in hock to the mob.
