Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 28th, 2003
British Television has always done a good job of showcasing music with variety programs. The Old Grey Whistle Test is probably the best of these and over its 16 year run featured some of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. We are treated to 28 live performances by huge bands like U2, REM, The Police, Bob Marley and Bruce Springsteen as well as riveting performances by the likes of The Dammed, Tom Waits and Iggy Pop. This is a great disc for any rock and roll fan especially if you grew up in th...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 2nd, 2003
Synopsis
Ian Richardson is Sir Francis Urquhart (FU to his friends), a scheming politician whocombines the guiles of Richard III and Iago. In House of Cards, the first mini-series ofthe trilogy, he is the Tory Chief Whip, and has just been disappointed in his expectations by anew prime minister he considers weak. Furious, Urquhart sets about the destruction of his ownprime minister. In To Play the King, Urquhart, now PM, comes up against the willfulnew king (who...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 21st, 2003
Synopsis
BBC’s documentary moves through four main phases, beginning with a groupAstralopithicus afarensis, and then stopping at other important milestones in our evolution,taking time to examine the dead ends (such as the Neanderthals) as well. The first half is plaguedby an excessively digressive narrative and massive overuse of time lapse photography. Theapemen are wonderfully rendered by real actors in make-up, but their interaction with CGI beastsproduces effects that aren’t qu...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 15th, 2002
Synopsis
This is the story of four obnoxious roommates: a hippy, a yuppie, a poseur and a punk. Theygradually demolish their flat and visit violence on each other, all the while yelling at the top oftheir lungs. Though nicely weird at times (check out the talking rats), this often deliberately badcomedy is very much in the acquired taste department.
Audio
Not too much to report here. The TV series was mono, and so is the DVD. It gets the jobdone, and is clea...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 11th, 2002
Synopsis
Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley star as Edina and Patsy, terminal fashion victims and loathsome relics from the sixties. Edina is a psychopathically narcissistic motormouth (conveniently, writer Saunders gives herself the lion's share of lines), and Patsy is a vaguely sinister man-eater. She spends most of the time lurking about on the edges while Edina makes life miserable for her long-suffering daughter. The sum total of the series' humour is graspable within five minutes, but that did...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 6th, 2002
Film
Walking With Dinosaurs plays out like a National Geographic special, tracking dinosaurs and their kin in the field. Wonderful CGI recreations of some of the more obscure beasts set this special apart from all other dinodocumentaries.
Synopsis
The vast worlds of prehistoric times are brought to life in a series of documentaries starting with the beginning of life in the seas and ending with the death of the final land giants. There are 6 segments: "New Blood", "Time Of ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 10th, 2001
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...
