Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 6th, 2005
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 2nd, 2005
Starting way back with The Simpsons, working up to King of the Hill, growing into Futurama & Family Guy, and now spawning American Dad, Fox sure does know the market of primetime animated TV; and the driving force behind the huge popularity of these shows comes down to DVD releases such as this. Not only have more fans come out of the woodwork since the incarnation of TV on DVD releases, these fans have also driven Fox to push forward with this genre of programming.
K...ng of the Hill was Fox’s second foray into the primetime animated marketplace. While it will never reach the levels of success that The Simpsons has, it will still live on for years as the best Redneck animated show on TV. You’ve just gotta love this show. The characters are hilarious with their off-beat behavior, and the storylines are all so bizarre that they are oddly captivating. Season three continues to tell the story of Hank Hill, his family, and his friends/neighbors. From lawn mower focus group to deer huntin’ dilemmas, Hank and those who surround him will keep you laughing all the way though the season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 1st, 2005
E. B. E. was a first season X-Files episode. For the most part it was very much like any other episode in the early years of the hit series, except it wasn’t. The story introduced us to three of Mulder’s friends/contacts, The Lone Gunmen. Basically Frohike, Langly, and Byers were your typical 80’s dot com geeks who used their computer skills to seek out government conspiracies instead of striking it rich. They self-published a tabloid paper that revealed all to a small conspiracy obsessed following. The appearance was always intended as a one time deal. One of the show’s DP’s, Tom Braidwood, was tapped to fill the shoes of Frohike. Who could have imagined that these throwaway characters would become so popular that they would become a staple on the rising series. They were a perfect comedic touch to a series that often took itself too seriously. In their own words their ideas were even weirder than Mulder’s Finally in 2001 the boys got their own show. Unfortunately the series only lasted 13 episodes.
Note should be made of the pilot episode. If you are very sensitive to the events of 9/11 you should seriously consider not watching this episode. The plot involves a shadow element in the government attempting to crash a jetliner into the Twin Towers. The episode aired barely 6 months before the tragic reality. This sad coincidence has since delayed the release of this worthy show as studio execs debated the impact of the story.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 27th, 2005
Synopsis
Directed by Gordon (Them!) Douglas, these three crime thrillers have Frank Sinatra doing his best hard boiled as he unravels complicated (and not always entirely comprehensible) mysteries.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 24th, 2005
Elektra was pretty much a failure at the box office, bringing in just over half of its production cost. Add to this the raised expectations of comic characters in the movies and it’s a safe bet Elektra won’t return anytime soon. Although this was not a great film by any standards, it’s a shame it tanked so badly. I missed the film in its theatrical run, and I was actually expecting a far worse film.
Garner is quite good in the role; I thought she brought a ton of emotion to a difficult character. The biggest problem here is the script. Perhaps it was too ambitious, but it was just riddled with holes. The few provided flashbacks don’t serve to bring us from the Daredevil character to where she is now. At times it seems this story would have served better rewritten as an origin story, possibly a prequel to the Daredevil outing. The supporting cast, with the exception of Terrance Stamp, was very bland. The only other notable surprise here was Kristen Prout as the young Abby. The cinematography was wonderful and the locations were breathtaking. This could have been a much better film. Still, it’s worth a view.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 9th, 2005
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2005
Phase IV isn’t a sequel, and it isn’t a remake of the 1974 movie about aliens brainwashing desert ants to wage war over its human desert inhabitants. Those of you looking for that film might be disappointed. Instead, you get this modern action film staring Dean Cain and the Boz, Brian Bosworth. And it ain’t half bad.
Simon Tate (Dean Cain) plays a reporter trying to clear the name of his best friend. The friend is involved in a mysterious death of a scientist. This death is just one in a s...ries of “accidental†deaths involving this group of scientists. See…the group is working on an experimental drug. There’s a conspiracy involving a corrupt cop (Brian Bosworth) and a United States politician (Mimi Kuzyk). Twists and turns ensue. There are lots of foot and car chases, for the chase crowd. And there’s lots of conspiracy, for the conspiracy crowd.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 11th, 2005
It’s hard to imagine that just 10 years ago Steven Bochco stirred up a hornet’s nest with the introduction of NYPD Blue. I say hard to imagine because after just three seasons The Shield has taken commercial TV to heights unimagined by anyone 10 years ago. Vic Mackey doesn’t just rough up suspects. He controls the streets he patrols. He’s not even above killing another cop to keep his thumb on crime in the Barrio district of L.A. Michael Chiklis, once known as the fatherly kind cop on The Commish, has t...tally sold us on this almost irredeemable renegade.
While F/X is a cable network, it still relies on the same advertising spots that the other networks depend on as their lifeblood. Unlike HBO or Showtime, F/X must also comply with stricter guidelines for decency. The Shield pushes that envelope to the very edge. Cinematography is gritty and often documentary in style. The music is harsh. The stories are extremely tight. Not a minute is wasted on superfluous trivia. This show grabs you in the first minute and reluctantly lets you go in the closing credits, only to lie in wait with another compelling episode to begin the cycle again.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 8th, 2005
Paul Giamatti, in typically depressed form, is an aspiring writer (his unpublished manuscript looks twice the size of War and Peace) and wine connoisseur who heads out with best friend Thomas Haden Church for a road trip through wine country before the latter’s wedding.Church is far more interesting in getting laid than in tasting wine, however, while Giamatti is still agonizing over his failed marriage (not to mention his perception of a failed life). He allows himself to be dragged by Church into all sorts of misadventures, but one particular entanglement,with Virginia Madsen, might perhaps turn out to be something special.
You know the screenwriter is male when the idea of Virginia Madsen putting the moves on Paul Giamatti isn’t supposed to raise an eyebrow. But let that be. As a portrait of two men unwilling to grow up, this is marvellous stuff. No small part of the film’s accomplishment is that it takes two patently unlovable characters and makes us care very deeply for them. With its gentle pace and expertly realized characters, this has the feel of an early 70s road movie. Amazing that it was made at all in this day and age.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 1st, 2005
Synopsis
