Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 7th, 2005
Synopsis
Peter Bogdanovich may be the victim of having too much too soon, as he was well known for his work in the early 1970s, starting with The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, but experienced a string of poorly received work as well. Following the 1980 murder of his girlfriend Dorothy Stratten (at the hands of her estranged husband), he stayed out of the business (and was bankrupt) for awhile, but returned in 1985 with the excellent film Mask. In Illegally Yours, he manages t... cast Rob Lowe (The West Wing) as a lovestruck kid named Richard Dice who returns home to Florida.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 1st, 2005
Synopsis
In the 1950s, Blue (Nina Siemaszko) travels from town to town with her itinerant jazz musician father (Tom Skerritt). When Dad is killed, Blue winds up under the thumb of brothel madam Wendy Hughes, and after some initial difficulty, assumes her new identity. But she pines for the boy (Brent Fraser) she met before her life went to hell, and she eventually fights to leave the addictive world of decadence she has entered. Escape will not be easy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 27th, 2005
It’s another case of mistaken identity that gets our boys (Abbott and Costello) in trouble, this time with a couple of gangsters. I’ve always been an Abbott and Costello fan but somehow missed this 1948 film over the years. It’s possible that because it was one of only a few pictures the duo did outside of Universal it did not enjoy the wide release their other works had. A few gems from the boys’ routines can be found. Look for the “horse eating his fodder” and “I’ll bet you you’re not here”. There is none of the Big Band Era song and dance routine to slow this film’s pace. It will certainly fly by you. If you like the boys, you’ll find this a pretty routine outing.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 27th, 2005
The Naked Truth is a 1958 British farce that benefits most from an excellent performance by Peter Sellers. Sellers plays Sonny Boy MacGregor as a comedic Lon Chaney. Each of Sonny’s characters is a complete package from the makeup to the accents. Moments of the inspired genius that would be better displayed in The Pink Panther films make this average production something more. The comedy is decidedly European in flavor and probably not for everyone. Most of the film slows when Sellers is not on the scene
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 22nd, 2005
Synopsis
Well, considering that there were so many different strange film ideas in the 1980s, it was only a matter of time that someone write and produce a film about a dead guy, right? Well, you’re in luck, as two names from the period (Andrew McCarthy, St. Elmo’s Fire and Jonathan Silverman, Brighton Beach Memoirs) fulfill your wish as Weekend at Bernie’s finally comes to DVD.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 21st, 2005
Synopsis
In the 1920s, heiress Bo Derek (looking wildly anachronistic) seeks to learn the ways of ecstasy. (Don’t get mad at me. I didn’t make this up.) Accompanied by her best friend and faithful chauffeur George Kennedy (here making a huge career step down from such *ahem* highs as The Concorde: Airport ‘79), she hares off to Morocco, inspired by Valentino movies to give her virginity to a sheik. When he fails to come through in the clutch, she next turns her sights on a Spanish bullfighter....He turns out to be the man of her dreams all right, but then a bull nails him where it counts. Shock! Drama!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 14th, 2005
Synopsis
Expropriated from his castle by the Romanian government (the place is going to be turned into a training facility for Olympic athletes), Count Dracula (George Hamilton) and Renfield (Arte Johnson, mimicking Dwight Frye’s laugh from the 1931 Dracula) make their way to New York. Dracula has fallen for a fashion model (Susan Saint James), convinced that she is the reincarnation of a woman he has loved before. Though something of a fish out of water, Dracula does his best to adapt to his ...ew surroundings and romance Saint James, while being opposed by Richard Benjamin, his rival for Saint James’ affections.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 7th, 2005
Here's a blast from the 80's past, remember the Garbage Pail Kids? Remember those cards and stickers? Those gross out cartoon characters? Well...a parental protest put them out of circulation. But here's the movie, called...well...The Garbage Pail Kids Movie. The barebones plot involves a human kid, played by Mackenzie Astin, who works in an antique shop owned by Cap'n Mancini (Anthony Newley). Stay away from the garbage pail, but no. The garbage can spills and enter...the Garbage Pail Kids. These kids...are large headed, filthy moppets. And, like the cards, each of them has a disgusting habit (can you guess what Valerie Vomit does). Needless to say, this movie is a disaster. And one wonders why celluloid was wasted on this movie. Children are starving.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 29th, 2005
Synopsis
In the midst of all of this Lucas-generated Star Wars hype, why not release an animated film on DVD whose storyline seems to eerily mirror Episode IV’s A New Hope? The story is about a boy named Orin, who works in an underground mine that’s guarded by silver stormtrooper-looking robots. I’m just saying. One day, he finds a sword that has magical powers, and with the help of his friends, he goes on an intergalactic adventure to free his friends from an evil warlord named Zygon. With he...p from the magic sword, of course.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 27th, 2005
Staying Together is one of those small town family stories. Growing up is hard, especially when you own a chicken restaurant. Dad, unfortunately, gives in to "big business", and sells his restaurant to a chain franchise. This sale puts the family into turmoil and makes the family members reevaluate their relationships with each other. The brothers of the McDermott family are featured most prominently. The three brothers, in typical movie fashion, are distinctly different. Dermot Mulroney plays Kit, the ro...antic brother, Tim Quill plays Brian, the hot-tempered one, and Sean Astin (Sam from Lord of the Rings) plays Duncan, the goofball. The film is rounded out by some good character actresses like Stockard Channing and Melinda Dillon. Unfortunately, the script by Monte Merrick is riddled with cliches and gives us everything we expect. The film is directed by Oscar winning actress Lee Grant, but her tone is dead serious. She plays the material without a hint of irony. Staying Together is like Mystic Pizza without the charm.
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