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Special Category

Traffic

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 6th, 2002

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Starting a few years back with Out of Sight and continuing on with The Limey and Erin Brokovich, director Steven Soderbergh had been riding a remarkable streak of winning films that fulfills the blazing promise of his first film, sex, lies, and videotape. With his most complex film to date, Traffic, Soderbergh once again proved that he is one of America’s most inventive filmmakers. He doesn’t play it safe – with each and every new outing, Soderbergh proves that he’s not afraid to …
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Peter Pan

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 3rd, 2002

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Intro

Another Disney Classic gets a Special Edition Release. Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan, but for those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 100 years, here is a synopsis…

Synopsis

“Now fully restored and remastered in a glorious Special Edition — this timeless tale will live in your heart forever. Let your dreams take flight with this original Disney classic that never grows old! Bursting with fantasy, adventure, and pixie dust, Walt Disney’s 14th animated…
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Terminator 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 1st, 2002

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The most basic rule in Hollywood seems to be that a sequel can never be as good as the original. If you’ve seen enough Police Academy films you know the rule by heart. This rule has been broken with Terminator 2. Not only is it better then the original, it is so much better that it has become “the” Terminator film. It’s no surprise that the DVD would have to be something special right down to a metal cover for the box. This is an ultimate edition that truly lives up to the name, and will make you forget about all previous issues of the film.

Romeo & Juliet

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 28th, 2002

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Intro

Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo & Juliet, as is the case with Moulin Rouge, was made to be seen and heard in a format such as DVD. His films are so visual that they can only be truly appreciated in the highest of quality… that is where this Special Edition release comes in.

Synopsis

“This ambitious undertaking takes William Shakespeare’s classic tale of star cross’d lovers and relates the story in a glossy music video style in modern day (1996) Florida. Leonardo DiCaprio and …
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Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 26th, 2002

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Intro

It is about damn time that The Empire Strikes Back made it to DVD… oh wait; this is Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, not The Empire Strikes Back (Damn it). Oh well, at least we now have one “Strikes Back” on DVD, and it is a dandy DVD release.

Synopsis

“First seen in Kevin Smith’s breakthrough film “Clerks,” Jay and Silent Bob have continued their adventures in both live-action movies and animated television shows. In JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK, when they learn that t…
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Beastie Boys Video Anthology

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 24th, 2002

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Written By Kelly Stifora

Intro

The bad boys from Brooklyn dish up an audio/video career retrospective from seemingly endless angles, and raise the bar on the entire DVD format just as they’ve always done in the worlds of rap and music videos.

Synopsis

Three geeky white kids from the Brooklyn underground punk scene form a band, calling themselves the Beastie Boys. A couple of years later they release their first album, Licensed to Ill, helping to spawn both the rap and the rap/rock genres. In the ensuing two de…
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Die Hard

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 26th, 2002

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Say the name Bruce Willis and what is the first thing that comes to mind? Lately Willis has excelled in roles that have redefined him as an actor. Of course, I’m talking about films like “The Sixth Sense”. But when I hear Bruce Willis I think of John McClane. Die Hard was the film where Willis “made his bones” in Hollywood and revolutionized the action film forever.

Synopsis

John McClane just can’t catch a break. It seems his wife has moved from their home in New York City, where John’s a cop, to L.A.
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Tron

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 15th, 2002

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Intro

I got quite a kick out of this film. It is great to see the creative minds of 20 years ago try to put a spin of the world of computers. I had forgotten the basis for this film, and watching it 20 years after it was released was really fun.

Synopsis

“When Flynn (Jeff Bridges) hacks the mainframe of his ex-employer to prove his work was stolen by another executive, he finds himself on a much bigger adventure. Beamed inside by a power-hungry Master Control Program, he joins comput…
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MASH – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 19th, 2001

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Intro

For those who just can’t get enough of the much-loved series on perpetual re-run, now comes the 3-disc set of the first season.

Anyone needing a summary of the premise is clearly not part of the set’s target market. But in case you need a reminder, the setting is a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, and the series revisits the characters introduced by the movie of the same name. Wacky hijinks interweave with the horrors of war. The show is at its tightest when the dialogue i…
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Willow

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 26th, 2001

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Intro

The timing on this release is just about perfect: close enough to the theatrical release of The Lord of the Rings for people to be eager for some high fantasy, but far in advance enough that comparisons will be less likely.

Synopsis

The story, by George Lucas, should be familiar to followers of his work. Once again, there is the promised deliverer, this time in the form of a baby girl. A quest ensues to save her, and the leader of this quest is Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis), a Lu…
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Dirty Harry Collection

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 24th, 2001

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Intro

From 1971, a newly restored “Dirty Harry” has been returned to the screen. This is a fantastic DVD release in every way – as either a solitary disc, or as part of the Dirty Harry box set. The video looks fantastic, the audio sounds good, and the disc is packed with valuable features. Beyond the quality of the DVD presentation, the movie itself is a classic – “Dirty Harry” is a seminal detective story in the annals of Hollywood – Harry Callahan is one of the original disaffected anti-heroes, a traum…
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Planet of the Apes – The Complete TV Series

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2001

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Intro

If you are part of the MTV generation, you may find this collection more ancient then entertaining. If you grew up watching this series, it will bring back memories….

Synopsis

It changed the face of television forever. Based on the enormously popular and successful Planet of the Apes movie, the 1974 TV series has become a true cult classic. Now all 14 episodes (including “The Liberator,” which never aired during the show’s original run) have been compiled and are available to ow…
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Planet of the Apes (2001)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 15th, 2001

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I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this film. I will sum it up like this… If you are expecting amazing acting and storyline, you will be disappointed. But, on the other hand, if you are expecting to see a bunch of Apes jumping around and some very fun visual effects, you are in for a treat….

Synopsis

In the year 2029, interstellar reconnaissance missions are relegated to chimpanzee pilots from the Space Station Oberon in deep space. On such a mission, a chimp loses communication and vanis…
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X-Files – The Complete Fourth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 13th, 2001

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Posted in Disc Reviews by Carly Peters

The season 4 collection of the X-Files comes in a seven disc package chock full of special features. Season four had some of the most talked about episodes in the X-Files brief history. Featured in this collection is “Home”, an episode that only aired once due to the undertones of incest in the plot, and has been banned from the re-run rotation. Other episodes include “Musings of the Cigarette Smoking Man”, a subplot that follows the life of young Cancer Man, who took part in some of the worlds most histo…
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Blue & the Grey

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 13th, 2001

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Intro

I’m guessing here, but I bet that it’s the DVD format’s ability to store vast quantities of information that is behind the sudden home video releases of twenty-year-old TV mini-series. This one is suitably epic.

Synopsis

John Geyser (John Hammond) is the artistic son of a Southern farming family. He is also the most racially enlightened member. He becomes a sketch artist for a newspaper, and therefore also becomes our eyewitness of the US Civil War.

This is one of those Big…
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Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 4th, 2001

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Intro

CTHE has managed to squeeze yet another release out of the Monty Python franchise, this time in the form of a Holy Grail two-disc Special Edition. A single disc version with 2.0 sound streeted in September of 1999. While the discs are loaded with a mountain of extras and the video and sound are definitely better than the 1999 version, I would recommend this set for first time Holy Grail purchasers and suggest that current owners needn’t upgrade. This disc has regrettably bumped into the limitations…
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Sopranos: Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 1st, 2001

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Intro

In terms of Box Sets, HBO has impressed with the Sopranos DVD Collection. Season One was a pure treat on DVD. From the packaging, the layout, the quality, and the content, the First Season was a beautiful DVD release. HBO has pleased again with the release of Season Two. The quality standards have remained impeccable, and the content is as good as ever…

Synopsis

“In its second season, The Sopranos sustains the edgy intelligence and unpredictable, genre-warping narrative moment…
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Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 1st, 2001

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Hoooo boy! I bet you had forgotten what movies were like in 1979, right? Let me sum it up for you then: slow moving, and brown. The contrast in cinematic styles alone is shocking – this movie is full of long, long, long 20 second shots accompanied by ear-straining orchestrals; contrast this to the frenetic pace of today’s movies where camera angles change every three seconds and you’ll see how film styles have evolved in the 20 years since this movie was made to match waning attention spans. The highlight of this fil…
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Fawlty Towers – The Complete Collection

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 10th, 2001

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Intro

For you British comedy fans out there, do I have a treat for you? The BBC has released the complete Fawlty Towers collection on DVD, and it is a very nice 3-Disc set.

Synopsis

“John Cleese stars as Basil Fawlty, the sharp-tongued, short-tempered owner of Fawlty Towers, a hotel plagued by crisis, chaos and bizarre characters.”

Audio

Considering that this collection is a 22 year old television series, the 2.0 audio is pretty good. Sure, you won’t get any notice…
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Simpsons: The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 30th, 2001

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Posted in Disc Reviews by Carly Peters

Intro

Everyone’s favorite dysfunctional family is releasing a box set of the season that started it all. The Simpsons: The Complete First Seasons includes 13 episodes on three discs and is filled with lots of goodies, including some never before seen footage of an episode creator Matt Groening wishes he could forget.

Audio

To me the audio was no great shakes. There were moments when sound effects were really clear and realistic, i.e. Homer banging his head against a metal pole, while…
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