Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2003
Synopsis
The setting is an exclusive college, and the action covers one school term. We move fromone party to another (very little education of any kind takes place here, what with the professorsstoned or absent), and see the intersections of doomed romantic hopes. These hopes belong toSean Bateman (brother of American Psycho Patrick), who longs for the virginal Lauren, and is inturn longed after by Paul. Lauren, meanwhile, is saving herself for Victor, who doesn’t evenknow she exis...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2003
Synopsis
Danny Glover takes over from Arnold Schwarzenegger as the chosen opponent of theextraterrestrial big game hunter. In a Los Angeles driven mad by heat and violence, Glover is thehard-bitten cop fighting for some for of order. The Predator arrives and starts offing drug gangsand cops, all of which leads to the eventual final battle. We’ve been here before, obviously, butthe sense of heat is almost palpable, the action is non-stop, and the ending is very cool. Look fora famili...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 2nd, 2003
Film
“In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the District Attorneys who prosecute the offenders …” Law and Order is an example of a bygone day in network television. In the 1990-1991 season this first year program ranked 62nd of all television programs. In addition to its poor performance, NBC lost revenue from countless sponsors pulling their advertisements because of the controversial nature of t...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2003
Synopsis
Nick Nolte, hulking and brutal, is a top NYC cop. The first thing we see him do isassassinate an unarmed man, then plant evidence to cover up his guilt. Timothy Hutton, a newassistant to the district attorney, is given the job of closing what is supposed to be a simple caseof self-defence. Naturally, he finds all sorts of loose ends and hints of top-level corruption. Whilethe romantic subplot is pointless, the investigation is gripping, and Nolte, Hutton, ArmandAssante (as ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 29th, 2003
Synopsis
Thelma (Susan Sarandon) and Louise (Geena Davis) head out on the highway for a well-deserved two-day trip. But then Louise is attacked, and Thelma shoots the would-be rapist, andeverything goes spectacularly to hell. One the one hand, this is a revisionist buddy road movie,with women instead of men in the leads. On the other hand, this is also the definitive buddy roadmovie, smarter and more exciting than any before or since.
Audio
The audio is terr...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 29th, 2003
Synopsis
Thelma (Susan Sarandon) and Louise (Geena Davis) head out on the highway for a well-deserved two-day trip. But then Louise is attacked, and Thelma shoots the would-be rapist, andeverything goes spectacularly to hell. One the one hand, this is a revisionist buddy road movie,with women instead of men in the leads. On the other hand, this is also the definitive buddy roadmovie, smarter and more exciting than any before or since.
Audio
The audio is terr...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 28th, 2003
Well, the era of mass market “indie” films is upon us. In spite of its manufactured artfulness, "One Hour Photo" does have appeal: Robin Williams portrays a stereotypical damaged post-modernist psychopath with a flourish of reality that does him credit as an actor, and writer/director Mark Romanek is a fresh face on the Hollywood scene. Supporting cast Paul Kim and David Moreland step out of Wal-Mart and onto the screen – spectacular characterizations. Connie Neilsen and Michael Vartan, however, give at best stilted ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 27th, 2003
Synopsis
The Miss Daisy of the title is played by Jessica Tandy. After she wrecks her car, her son (Dan Aykroyd) hires a chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) for her. Miss Daisy is fiercely resistant to the supposed loss of independence this represents, but she eventually lets Freeman do his job. A strong friendship grradually develops between the two. In the background, we catch glimpses of the changing American South as the film moves from 1947 to 1972. Prejudice, both racial and anti-semitic, lurks just und...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 26th, 2003
Synopsis
Our guide to the Manchester movement 1976-1992 is Tony Wilson (a mesmerizingly goodSteve Coogan), TV personality and would-be music impresario. Blown away by an earlyperformance by The Sex Pistols, Wilson sets about forming his own music club and record label(The Factory). Central to his enterprise’s rise and fall are Joy Division/New Order and the HappyMondays. Wilson addresses the camera constantly, as if we were watching a documentary onhis life, and the result is as fun...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 23rd, 2003
Not since Scarface with Al Pacino has there been a film that captured the world of the drug lord as well as Blow. The style is reminiscent of Goodfellas with its character-driven narrative and snapshot photography. Taken from the real-life story of George Jung who is still serving a 30-year sentence for drug trafficking, Blow explores the evolution of cocaine as the drug of choice for the American elite. Ted Demme manages to give us an honest portrayal of Jung that does not glorify or justify his evil deeds.
