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Darkwolf

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 22nd, 2003

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Synopsis

A huge biker dude wreaks havoc in a strip club. Captured by the police, he tears his way outof the police truck and is on the loose again. Naturally, this is because he is a werewolf (or, moreaccurately, a “hybrid werewolf,” but you would be forgiven for failing to notice what the hell thedifference is), and he is seeking the next werewolf matriarch, killing all and sundry she hastouched (they have her scent on them, you see), along with anyone else in his way. The nextmatr…
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Sugar Hill

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 8th, 2003

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Let me admit from the start I have an almost pathological fear of needles. This means I watched several minutes of this film with my eyes closed. If you share the phobia this is not a DVD for you. Sugar Hill has a lot of unfulfilled potential. The acting is mostly first rate and the story is often compelling. The producers mucked it up with too many Godfather clichés from the “I’m your older brother and I was stepped over” to Snipes coming of age at a baptism. Even AbeVigoda shows us what Tessio would have turned into if he hadn’t taken that “ride”.

Claudine

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 8th, 2003

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When this movie first came out in 1974 I think it probably caused a stir and was maybe even labeled “controversial”. We have the story of Claudine (played by Diahann Carroll) a struggling Harlem mother with 6 children to support; she collects welfare and works under the table on the side as a maid for a wealthy family. She meets a charming garbage man named Roop (James Earl Jones, much younger and thinner then I have ever seen him) who is struggling with his own life trials which makes him slow to respond to her invi…
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Sunrise

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 26th, 2003

Synopsis

A city vamp seduces a country man and convinces him to kill his wife. At the moment heis about to commit the crime, he finds he cannot go through with it. We then follow the husbandand wife through the course of their reconciliation. Put this way, the film sounds flat and boring,but the poetry of its simplicity, imagery and performances is overwhelming. (There’s a stormsequence that must be one of the greatest storms in the movies.) This is emphatically one of thegreat clas…
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Quest for Fire

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2003

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Synopsis

The time is 80,000 years ago. Our focus is tribespeople who value fire deeply, but do notknow how to make it. When they are attacked by a rival, far more simian, group, they lose theirfire. A trio of friends (Everett McGill, Nameer El-Kadi, and Ron Perlman, a man who doesn’tneed much make-up to look prehistoric) head off on a search for new fire. During theirquest, they encounter a cannibal tribe, and hook up with Rae Dawn Chong, a prisoner of thecannibals and member of a m…
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Journey to the Center of the Earth

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 25th, 2003

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Synopsis

Irascible Scottish scientist James Mason discovers evidence that an explorer made thejourney of the title. Determined to do likewise, Mason sets off for Iceland (there to descend avolcanic crater that will lead to the centre of the Earth) in the company of Pat Boone (whoseaccent must be heard to be believed). Along the way, they are joined by feisty widow ArleneDahl and towering Icelander Peter Ronson. They are not alone in their journey, however, andthey must confront huma…
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Day The Earth Stood Still, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 23rd, 2003

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Synopsis

A flying saucer lands in Washington, causing widespread paranoia. Emerging from thesaucer are the ominous robot Gort, and the human-looking Klaatu (Michael Rennie). Klaatucomes with a warning for Earth (get your act together or be wiped out), but he will speak only torepresentatives from all nations. This turns out to be a difficult proposition. Klaatu escapes fromthe authorities and blends in with the population as he learns about humans. The questionbecomes whether he wil…
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Sordid Lives

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 14th, 2003

Synopsis

An ensemble piece, along the lines of something John Sayles or Robert Altman might do,only on a minuscule budget and played strictly for laughs. A massively dysfunctional Southernfamily meet for the funeral of Grandma Peggy, and all sorts of animosities and such are workedout. The film is based on a play, and boy can you tell — static as hell, boring to watch. There aresome moments of genuine emotion with the gay characters, but for the most part this is just apainful slog…
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MASH – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 6th, 2003

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This set contains all episodes of season 3 from M*A*S*H in broadcast order. This season of M*A*S*H from a critical standpoint was probably one of the best of the 11 seasons, this was the year that the show won the Peabody award, the highest award you can receive in television, and co-producer gene Reynolds won an Emmy award for directing the episode, “O.R.” which is seen here uncut and unedited. Also on this disc are the episodes The General Flipped at Dawn, Officer of the Day, Check-up, and Rainbow Bridge, Iron gut…
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Affair to Remember, An

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 5th, 2003

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Synopsis

On a luxury ocean liner, playboy Cary Grant meets singer Deborah Kerr. Each is involvedwith someone else, but they fall deeply in love with each other. Upon arriving in New York, theydecide to part and, if all goes well, reunite in six months at the top of the Empire State Building,by which time their lives should be in order. If you’ve seen Sleepless in Seattle, you know whathappens next. Though this is one the most celebrated weepies ever, I found it curiouslyuninvolving….
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Banger Sisters, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2003

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Synopsis

Goldie Hawn plays Suzette, aging groupie. Fired from her bartending job, she decamps fromLA for Phoenix, there to track down old pal Vinnie (Susan Sarandon), who has, of course,morphed from party girl to Mrs. Establishment. Along the way, Hawn picks up neurotic writerGeoffrey Rush. (A screwed up writer who is sexually devoured by a hot babe? Could this be thecreation of a male writer?) Hawn proceeds to cure everybody of uptightness. Gosh, aren’t theBoomers fascinating? They…
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Predator 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 2nd, 2003

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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…
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Q & A

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 …
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One Hour Photo

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 28th, 2003

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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 …
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X-Men 1.5

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 18th, 2003

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Why X-Men 1.5? This 2-Disc special edition re-release is set to coincide with the theatrical release of X2, the X-Men sequel. The 1.5 release is set up to be sort of a Director’s Cut of the original X-Men film. This new version has allowed for the film to be viewed with a number of deleted scenes to be branched into the film (not seamlessly… you have to hit enter on your remote to view the scenes). I am sure you know the premise, but here is a recap:

“Marvel’s classic comic book comes to li…
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Python 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2003

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Synopsis

A genetically modified super-python, dropped on Russia by the Americans at some pointfor some reason or other, is captured. But the plane carrying the snake is shot down by Chechens.The cargo is recaptured and taken to a base. A husband-and-wife team of cargo haulers areengaged for no truly logical reason by a CIA team to go the base, where the snake is to be stolenand taken back to the States. Unfortunately, the snake is already loose. “Loose” is also a goodword for the pl…
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All About Eve

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2003

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Synopsis

A corrosive satire of stardom in general, and the theatre world in particular, All About Evestars Bette Davis as an insecure theatre diva, and Anne Baxter as Eve, the young woman whobefriends Davis but is a the conniving, fawning sociopath who will stop at nothing for her ownstab at stardom. George Sanders (stealing every scene he’s in as a sublimely cynical critic) is onelof the only people who can see through Eve. Baxter overdoes the fawning, so it becomes difficultto bel…
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How Green Was My Valley

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 3rd, 2003

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Synopsis

The setting is turn-of-the-century Wales, and a way of life is coming to an end as economiccrises hit. The film chronicles the saga of the Morgan family, headed by stern but lovingpatriarch Donald Crisp, and we get all this through the eyes of young Roddy McDowall. Analternative title might be “Cavalcade of Misery” and the answer to the film’s question might be“not very,” given the endless tragedies that afflict our loving family. The film hasn’t weatheredthe passing years …
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Gentleman’s Agreement

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 31st, 2002

Synopsis

Gregory Peck is a freelance writer recently arrived in New York. Hired to write a series onanti-Semitism, he hits on the idea of passing himself off as Jewish. The angle works only toowell, and he experiences prejudice first-hand, in ways that threaten to completely derail his life.The performances are universally excellent, and the actors are really put to the test when theyhave to mouth the painfully moralizing speeches at the end of the film. Until the disappointingconcl…
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First $20 Million, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 12th, 2002

Synopsis

Adam Garcia plays an ad exec with a conscious, he wants he create something that will change the world. He recruits a rag tag group of geniuses and misfits to build the world’s first portable $99 computer. After losing their jobs and funding from the research facility where they work they set out on their own to finish what they started. Their creativity is rekindled by Andy Caspar’s (Garcia) neighbor (Rosario Dawson) and side tracked by the back stabbing genius at the research facility where …
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Good Girl, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 6th, 2002

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Synopsis

Welcome to the stagnant end of the gene pool. In this world, mortally stupid people live in asuburban hellscape, and shop at Retail Rodeo, the bastard love child of WalMart and ValueVillage. Desperate to escape from this world and her slob of a husband (John C. Reilly) is Justine(Aniston). She falls in love with Tom (Jake Gyllenhaal), a younger co-worker, and now Justine isabout to find out what hell really is. Incidentally, all of this is very funny.

Audio>

A carefully wrought 5.1 sound mix is on offer here. The quiet music is given a warm,atmospheric sound. “Atmospheric” is also the word for the sound effects. They swirl about theroom, and most noticeable is the wind, which not only creates a full environmental effect, butpunches up one of the central metaphors of the film. Very nice left-right separation.

Video

The film is presented in both 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and fullscreen formats, one oneach side of the disc. The colours are good, as are the blacks. The contrasts could be a little bitstronger. The image is sharp for the most part, though there is once grainy shot near the end ofthe film.

Special Features

Irritatingly, the extras are split over the two sides of the disc, though the bulk are on thewidescreen side (the only extra the fullscreen has to itself is the gag reel, which consists largelyin shots of actors laughing). There are two commentaries. The first is a feature-length one bywriter Mike White and director Miguel Arteta. These are a couple of very low-key guys, and theirdiscussions is sometimes more odd than informative. The other commentary is limited to selectedscenes, and is provided by Aniston, who is full of praise for everybody. There are also 9 deletedscenes (with optional commentary by Arteta). Finally, there’s an alternate ending montage. Themenu has a scored and animated main page and transitions.

Closing Thoughts

There’s a real trend of dark, melancholy comedies these days. If you liked Ghost World, thiswill be right up your alley.

Special Features List

Audio Commentary
Scene Specific Commentary by Jennifer Aniston
Gag Reel
Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
Alternate Ending Montage

King of Comedy, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 6th, 2002

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Synopsis

Robert De Niro is Rupert Pupkin, supreme loser. He has delusions of greatness, andconstantly fantasizes he has a wonderful friendship with talk show host Jerry Langford (JerryLewis, superb). Pupkin is determined to get his moment in the limelight, and he will stop atnothing, not even kidnapping, to make sure he gets what’s coming to him. Along for the ride issimilarly obsessed (and grotesque) fan Sandra Bernhard. Look out. Incredibly smart, incrediblyfunny, incredibly uncom…
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 4th, 2002

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Synopsis

I’m not going to summarize an entire season for you. But this is the season where theBuffy/Angel arc reached its conclusion, since the spin-off series was about to begin.

Audio

The sound is limited to a 2.0 mix, but it is a solid mix. As ever with TV shows, the musicheavily dominates, but there is still some sound effect presence, and the result isn’t bad atall.

Video

The last collection was marred with some truly awful grai…
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Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 28th, 2002

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Synopsis

David Krumholtz plays Benny Silman, and his performance is a rather startling bit ofmimicry (check out what the real Silman looks and sounds like in the extras). Our hero movesfrom New York (amusingly set up as if it were a small, provincial town) to Arizona StateUniversity, home of sun, fun, girls and gambling. The sexual politics are as bad as you’d expect,but the direct-to-camera addresses by Krumholtz are entertaining, and the story itself is notwithout interest.

My Neighbor Totoro

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 28th, 2002

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Synopsis

Two young children move to a new house with their father. Their mother is in the hospital,but they are hopeful she is getting better. In the garden, they have access to a magical world ofspirit creatures. This is a gentle, warm work, with the same delight in the fantastic as is present inPrincess Mononoke and Spirited Away (though unlike those films, this one can be enjoyed evenby very young children). Sweet but never cloying, moving but never saccharine, funny, andfrequent…
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