Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 24th, 2002
During my years at college in Philadelphia, there was a guy who lived at the end of the freshman hall whom had been around far longer than any other freshman. He gathered a following and essentially coached his young ones, myself included, on how to have fun on and off campus. As National Lampoon’s Van Wilder began to spin, I couldn’t help but remember those glorious days and revere Van as he celebrated his life at Coolidge College.
Van Wilder, played perfectly by Ryan Reynolds, returns to Coolidge for y...t another semester of parties, personal secretaries and golf carts. What makes Van Wilder stand out against his fellow students is that this is his seventh straight year in attendance. Over those years, he’s become an icon of the school and in a sense, treated like a god. Jocks love him, geeks count on him and women melt before him. Of course, no one can stay in school forever and it takes the hotness of Tara Reid to ultimately show Van what life has to offer.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 3rd, 2002
Con Express is, at its heart, a low budget Die Hard / Speed hybrid. Terry Cunningham shows off his love for the high impact thrillers, but unfortunately not always his respect. There are times when you don't notice the millions missing in the budget. The story, while it is a bit contrived, carries well throughout the entire film. My only complaint is that Cunningham saw fit to interrupt the film each time it started to flow with a senseless wraparound story of the hero being interviewed to take over the Customs office in Alaska. In an action film pacing is everything and the element most missing from Con Express.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 29th, 2002
Recipe for Hell's Gate:
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 11th, 2002
Synopsis
Two brothers survive a plane crash (a crash in which their father dies, but they don't seem too broken up about the sad event), and find themselves washed up on the island of Dinotopia. As the name implies, this is a land where humans and dinosaurs co-exist. We explore this island with the brothers, and get caught up in their quest to help save this world in its hour of peril. The characters here are a long way from believable, and so the main draw is the special effects, which are, by telev...sion standards, most impressive.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 24th, 2002
Synopsis
A group of friends made a bet at the end of high school to see who would bring the most attractive date to the ten-year reunion. That time has come, and the bet is worth $50,000.00. Time to surf the Internet for that perfect woman. This is, apparently, a comedy. Really. Utterly inept in every department (acting, writing, direction, editing, cinematography), this achieves the not-inconsiderable feat of making Corky Romano looking screamingly funny by comparison.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 15th, 2002
Synopsis
Herbert's novel is very complex, and one attempts a synopsis at one's own risk (this is part of the problem with Lynch's film). At its most basic, it is about power struggles in a galactic empire, power struggles centred on the planet Arrakis, or Dune, home of the spice, the most vital element in the empire. Paul Atreides, newly arrived on Arrakis, turns out to be the long-prophesied messiah. This is an incredibly ambitious project for a telefilm, and though some of the budgetary limitations...are visible (primarily in the obviously cost-conscious spartan look to the set design), the effort deserves kudos for going for the gusto.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 11th, 2002
Hard Cash wants very much to be a smart movie, with not one but three separate heists that are thought out and executed in complicated style much like the far superior films, Heist and The Score. The problem with Hard Cash is that it can’t resist being campy as well. Hard Cash also wants to be funny. The end result is a movie that does both adequately but neither very well. Val Kilmer looks so uncomfortable in his role, you wonder if his shoes are on too tight. Slater is accually quite convincing, but he can’t get any of the other actors to come along for the ride. One of the true bright elements of the film is the “contingency plan” played by Verne Troyer, best known as Austin Powers’ Mini-Me. There is also a very amusing subplot involving a fellow crook who wants to be a tailor and likes to make “alterations”.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 11th, 2002
Sins of the Father is an emotional film. It is overflowing with disturbing images of both racial and domestic violence. The cast is quite convincing. This film is not for everyone. The portrayal of the racial tensions of 1960’s Alabama closely resembles the historic footage interwoven in the film for realism. The film often switches from 1998 to 1963 and the transitions are often confusing.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 15th, 2002
The Films
Guilty as charged. Yes, it is true… until now, I had never seen any of the Rambo films. Sure, these films are all now somewhat dated, but they sure are fun to watch.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 1st, 2002
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.
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