Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 31st, 2004
Comic book characters have provided a large slate of movie productions in recent years. This really isn’t anything new; both Superman and Batman have each fueled successful film franchises (It should be noted that both are soon to return). Spider-Man’s record take opened a new floodgate. Some have been quite disappointing (The Hulk and The Punisher) while a few (X-Men and Spider-Man) have provided outstanding products. Hellboy fits somewhere in the middle. The character is somewhat lesser known and considerably more ...ecent. Ron Perlman is perfectly cast here. He almost makes this larger than life creature believable. Guillermo Del Toro creates a convincing world of dark hues with tremendous style that never gets pretentious or interferes with the story. At first this film looks unsettling, but as you allow yourself to be immersed in the rich shadows, you are completely transported away. It’s a hell of a fast 2 hours.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 12th, 2004
There is an interesting trend that seems to be going on in Hollywood right now. Contrary to the record of history, sequels are starting to turn out better, not worse, than their original productions. X2 was better than X-Men, Spidey 2 was better than the first, and each installment in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy built upon the previous episode to an eventual Best Picture climax. I am thrilled that this is the case, since there are more sequels being made now than ever before.
...p>The trend seems to work better with dramas and action films than it does with comedies, though. For every Kill Bill Vol. 2 out there, there seem to be six or seven The Whole Ten Yards’. Understandably, it was with some trepidation that I approached my viewing of Barbershop 2. Thankfully, when it come to this comedy, the positive trend continues. I have no problems saying that this film was better than the first one in just about every way. Obviously, the budget was bigger, which allowed for expanded sets and a larger cast. Apparently it allowed for even funnier writers this time around as well, as the jokes come at a fast and furious pace.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 6th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 27th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 10th, 2004
Joe Queenan is one of my favorite writers. He is the author of wonderfully amusing essays and books dealing with the subject of film. In his book Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler, he is bold enough to take on the challenge of watching every Merchant Ivory film, back-to-back. At one point late in the narrative, he has this to say:
As I sat there in my reclining chair with my kids lighting matches to my feet, I realized that God had created Merchant and Ivory for only one reason: because otherwise ...he concept of death was too terrifying.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 8th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 27th, 2004
All too often, films with an ensemble cast are a dream for the studio’s marketing department, but end up being a nightmare for the moviegoer. They are the very definition of the phrase, “too many Chiefs and not enough Indians”. There are exceptions to this rule (such as Steven Soderberg’s re-make of Ocean’s 11), but more often than not, such films fall flat, as everybody leads in their own direction, and nobody follows.
Thankfully, this is one of those rare exceptions. Each member of the cast of T...e Great Escape understands their role in telling the story, and they fill it perfectly. No one actor is the star here (though it is clear that Steve McQueen is certainly the man); everyone sacrificed their personal glory for the good of the film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 20th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 1st, 2004
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