Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 14th, 2005
Synopsis
John Cusack had done the 80’s adolescent romantic comedy thing to death. In one fashion or another, The Sure Thing, One Crazy Summer, Better Off Dead and Hot Pursuit had some mix of smooching and laughs to them, and Cusack was the main character. So why did he decide to do another in Say Anything, the directing debut for Cameron Crowe?
There was something new to it I suppose. In Lloyd, Cusack found the guy that might not go to an even decent college whe...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 14th, 2005
Synopsis
Val Kilmer is found, shot in the head and near death, outside the middle-of-nowhere desert town of Blackpoint. When he comes to in the hospital, he has total amnesia. But as flashes of his memory return, he becomes convinced that an attempt will be made to kill the President. No one believes him, including Neve Campbell, who shows up claiming to be his fiancee. No one, that is, except perhaps Sheriff Sam Shepard, who wonders if there might not be something to this man’s beliefs after all.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 13th, 2005
Synopsis
The orphanage where brothers Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) grew up is going to be expropriated unless back taxes are paid, and our heroes are resolved to help. The nun in charge won’t accept any of their ill-gotten gains, however, and so they embark on a frenetic cross-county chase to reassemble their old band for a benefit gig. Cue many famous music cameos, and massive car chases.
As happened in the sixties, the eighties were plagued by a particular form of bloated,...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 13th, 2005
Synopsis
After the events of the first film, Naomi Watts and her young son are starting a new life for themselves in a small town. But the curse of Samara reaches out to them, as not only are there more victims of the lethal videotape in this town (thus driving home Watts’ guilt for having copied the tape herself), but Samara strives to possess Watts’ son.
Everything is here, conceptually, for a pretty gruelling exercise in horror. Every mother’s nightmare is played on as Watts is suspected...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 11th, 2005
In a future (or alternate) New York City plague by mutations and acid rain, a young man (Adam Plotch) falls for a strange woman (Talia Rubel). They begin a fractious relationship, and then it turns out that she's his sister, whom he thought had died ten years earlier. The relationship continues, however, and there are hints that their family is somehow connected to the problems besetting the city.Shot on video, this is the feature debut of director Miguel Coyula, and shows great promise.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 11th, 2005
Synopsis
There are a good number of people who have labeled Oliver Stone as a fan of conspiracy theories, out to destroy foundations of conservative ideology, while at the same time re-visiting 60’s nostalgic icons. Despite the jokes and the stereotyping, one has to admit that, as a filmmaker, he has helped bring to screen some of the most talked about cinematic experiences of our time, including Midnight Express, Scarface, not to mention Conan the Barbarian. As a director, his works, s...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 11th, 2005
Synopsis
With all due respect to The Kids in the Hall, Saturday Night Live has an uncontested place in television history as one of the most influential shows ever to air on a small box of cathode ray tubes and circuit boards. Over the years, the show has launched the careers of Will Ferrell (Anchorman), Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop), Adam Sandler (The Waterboy) and a host of other notable actors. The talent that creator Lorne Michaels has put together for over a quarte...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 10th, 2005
Synopsis
Gene Tierney plays the kleptomaniac wife of respected psychiatrist Richard Conte. When she is caught shoplifting a pin, she is rescued from embarrassment by con artist and hypnotist Jose Ferrer, who wins her confidence, and then sets her up for a murder wrap. His alibi is airtight, and the evidence all points to her guilt.
Tierney, as ever, excels at being beautiful and unstable, though here she is sympathetic, as opposed to the monsters she plays in Leave Her to Heaven and ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 10th, 2005
First there was no James. This year no Florida. Yes, the Sunshine State is alive and well even after a year full of hurricanes, but the lovable mother Evans is not a part of Good Times 5th season. I found these episodes to be the show’s least funny. There’s no doubt that the scripts are trying way too hard to cover the awkward situations. The addition of young Penny is really no compensation. It doesn’t help that after 5 years JJ’s shtick is beginning to show its wear. Still, there are some good moments here for the show’s legion of fans.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 9th, 2005
Synopsis
John Hodiak plays a soldier who wakes up after being wounded with no memory. All he knows is what he is told: that his name is George Taylor. He makes his way to LA, and before long is looking for one Larry Cravat, a man who is apparently his friend. But lots of other people are looking for Cravat too, both hoodlums and cops, and our hero is quickly up to his neck in danger, without even knowing why.
An early storyline centred around amnesia, Somehwere in the Night’s twists ...
