Studio

Global Effect

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 23rd, 2004

Synopsis

A madman with a dream of cleansing the planet steals a ferociously deadly virus and kidnapsMadchen Amick, the only scientist who potentially knows how to create a vaccine for thedisease. A multinational special forces squad is sent to find the bad guys and rescue Amick.Meanwhile, our villain begins the spread of the virus, and a trigger-happy National SecurityAdviser wants to nuke all of Africa. Erstwhile mummy Arnold Vosloo is the scientist at theWashington HQ urging calm.

All in the Family – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 22nd, 2004

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It’s perhaps a sad commentary on the level of political correctness that Archie Bunker could never have graced network primetime in 2004. Archie was ignorant and an incredibly vocal bigot. Archie was an equal opportunity bigot. He didn’t just hate certain minorities … he hated everybody who wasn’t white blue collar protestant. Carroll O’Connor, who brilliantly portrayed Archie, was without a doubt one of the best actors to grace a network sitcom. Just watch his eyes and you’ll understand. All in the Family holds a re…
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Detonator

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 21st, 2004

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Synopsis

A powerful bomb explodes in downtown LA law office. The authorities suspect terrorism,but former FBI agent (now officer for the Bureau of Postal Investigation) Randall Batkinkoff hashis doubts. Politics interferes with his investigation, but he gradually becomes involved asanother bomb goes off. Evidence points to violent survivalist, but is he really the right man?

The rebellious investigator who’s always right. The politically-motivated chief investigatorwho hamstrings th…
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Spartan

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 20th, 2004

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It seems like there have been quite a few dramatic films over the past three years or so that have fallen into this trap of bad marketing. Curiously enough, they all seem to have the same narrative feel, from Heist to Confidence to Spy Games… and now Spartan. I sometimes have a hard time figuring out why some films become hits, and some don’t. (Of course, if I were a master at that, I would be the highest paid man in Hollywood.) I don’t understand how mindless films like Men in Black II…
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Complete Gidget Collection, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 20th, 2004

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Synopsis

Designed to be as nonthreatening a form of teen movie as can be imagined, the Gidget filmswere the predecessors to the Beach Party movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello,and were sunny bits of cheer not even hinting at the darker side of adolescence explored by suchcontemporaries as I Was Teenage Werewolf (1957). Sandra Dee, perkiness made flesh,was first to play the role in 1959’s Gidget. Here she meets surfer Moondoggie (JamesDarren, the only actor…
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Significant Others – The Series

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 19th, 2004

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Synopsis

Our main characters are Campbell (Eion Bailey), Nell (Jennifer Garner) and Henry (ScottBairstow). They are twentysomethings facing the reality that they are finally going to have togrow up. Campbell is tense, judgmental, and constantly trying to come up with the Next BigThing. Nell is a flake incapable of any kind of commitment (romantic, career or otherwise).Henry is a writer who wants to be writing better stuff than he is. All sorts of affairs of the heartensue. Created b…
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Das Boot – The Original Uncut Version

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 17th, 2004

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I am sure that many consumers have noticed the disturbing trend taking place in DVD land with regard to the same movie being released in multiple versions. This practice, commonly referred to in the industry as “multiple bites at the apple”, is a cheap way for studios to persuade consumers to buy movies that they already own over and over again, since each new release offers some sort of extra upgrade from the previous versions. Even those of us in the DVD community sometimes get burned on this type of thing, as ther…
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Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 16th, 2004

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The mid-nineties Fox Spider-Man was hands down the best animated series of the time. It was one of the first series to use a Japanese animation company to produce a regular Saturday morning series and the Japanese influence was immediately striking. The brightness and depth of colors as well as the consistency of the animation blew away everything else that was available on TV at the time. The stories were outstanding in that they borrowed heavily from classic comic stories and adapted them for viewers that may not b…
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How’s Your News

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 15th, 2004

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Synopsis

The How’s Your News? team is a group of physically and/or mentally challenged reporterswho set off on a journey across the US, interviewing people on the street, at a cattle-call, onalligator farms, and so on. Though at first blush the premise might raise warning flags, not tomention the presence of Matt Stone and Trey Parker as exec-producers, but such worries (which Iconfess I shared) are unwarranted. This is a film that the reporters are proud of, and directorArthur Brad…
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Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 14th, 2004

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Synopsis

Life is hard for Mary (Lindsay Lohan). In the first place, she feels her name should actuallybe “Lola,” and that is how she introduces herself to all and sundry. Then her mother goes andmoves the family from exciting Manhattan to less-than-exciting New Jersey. As if things weren’trough enough, her favourite rock group is about to break up. She is determined to keep glamourin her life, however, not to mention getting to see the band’s farewell concert. Along the way,she will…
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Live Nude Girls

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 14th, 2004

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Synopsis

Kim Catrall is a B-movie actress about to get hitched for the third time. Lora Zane hosts abachelorette party for her. A group of old friends gather, and all their secrets about their livescome spilling out, with a special emphasis on the sexual aspect. So Catrall has doubts, Zane istrouble by heterosexual fantasies that are undermining her relationship with Olivia D’Abo,Cynthia Stevenson is being stalked by her house painter, and sisters Dana Delany (lustful andgossipy) an…
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Broken Wings

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 13th, 2004

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Synopsis

Dafna is a midwife, overworked and underpaid, who lost her husband nine months ago andis only barely functional. She dumps most of the familial responsibilities on her eldest daughter,Maya, and doesn’t notice the price that Maya is paying in having to give up her hopes andaspirations. Eldest son Yair has reacted to the death of his father by adopting a despairingphilosophy and dropping out of school. Younger brother Ido is tormented by bullies and wetshis bed. And youngest …
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Barbershop 2: Back in Business

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 12th, 2004

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There is an interesting trend that seems to be going on in Hollywood right now. Contrary to the record of history, sequels are starting to turn out better, not worse, than their original productions. X2 was better than X-Men, Spidey 2 was better than the first, and each installment in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy built upon the previous episode to an eventual Best Picture climax. I am thrilled that this is the case, since there are more sequels being made now than ever before.

Star Trek Voyager – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 11th, 2004

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Season three of Voyager was the most exciting so far. This is the year Q, one of Star Trek’s most beloved characters, adds Janeway to his list of captains to pester. The powerful Borg would also enter Voyager’s universe in Season three. The year would end with a cliffhanger that also introduces 7 of 9 to the cast. This was Kes’s final year. There’s no question that the show’s dynamics went from stun to kill. Episodes became a bit more standalone. The long overdone Kazon arc would be abandoned for more compelling dram…
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Nest, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 11th, 2004

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Synopsis

On July 14, Bastille Day, a group of small-time hoods stage a daring warehouse robbery.Meanwhile, a brutal Albanian mafia kingpin is being transported to Strasbourg for trial. Theconvoy is ambushed by what looks like an entire battalion of heavily armed men, and thearmoured car winds up taking refuge in the warehouse. The soldiers and the thieves, massivelyoutgunned and outnumbered, band together to hold off the enormous siege.

The jacket copy calls this film “Th…
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Thunderbirds – International Rescue Edition (Thunderbirds Are Go / Thunderbird 6)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 11th, 2004

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Synopsis

If the word “Supermarionation” triggers a delicious shiver of nostaglia in you, then youobviously need read no further. The stories of the two films are properly expansive variations onthe TV show’s basic plots.

In Thunderbirds Are Go (1966), a Mars-bound spaceship, the Zero-X, is sabotaged ontake-off. International Rescue is called in to provide security for the second attempt. This time,the Zero-X makes it into space. But its sojurn on Mars and return to Ea…
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Super Spy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 9th, 2004

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This is an odd little film, indeed. The best way that I can describe it is as a cross between Bowfinger and a James Bond film. It is billed as a comedy, but the first half-hour is clearly drama. Of course, when the comedy portion does come in, it’s not funny either. The plot is surprisingly complex, but at its core, it involves a movie production that accidentally captures a crime taking place on film. Now the criminals are after the crew.

Truth be told, this might have turned out to have been a pret…
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Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 9th, 2004

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In the greatest tradition of 1950’s producers like William Castle comes The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. Castle fans will appreciate the “Filmed in Skeletovision” gag on the cover art. This is a wonderful send-up of the 1950’s science fiction genre. Most of the acting is deliberately over the top and the gags are often too obvious… but this is funny stuff. The music cues are dead on. Fans of Mystery Science Fiction Theatre 3000 will also find this film entertaining to the extreme. Andrew Parks steals the show wit…
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Windfall

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 9th, 2004

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Synopsis

Casper Van Dien and Robert Englund stage a daring casino robbery on the resort island ofSandbridge. (Where does Van Dien get his helicopter from? Don’t ask.) As we move fromfull night to mid-afternoon in a matter of minutes, our affable criminals are pursued at high speedand finally caught by security chief Gregg Henry (doing his clench-jawed villainy familiar fromPayback, and lifted from Gary Busey). Casino owner Ray Wise (Leland Palmer fromTwin Peaks) gives Van Dien…
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Charlie Chan Chanthology, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 8th, 2004

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Synopsis

Though the character first appeared on film in 1926, the Charlie Chan films proper ran from1931 to 1949. Warner Oland’s interpretation of the character is the most beloved, though SidneyToller (who took over after Oland died in 1938) was still part of the series’ peak (1936-9). In1944, beginning with Charlie Chan in the Secret Service, the series moved from 20thCentury Fox to Monogram, one of the Poverty Row studios, and the decline began, though thecheapest of the f…
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Party Animalz

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 7th, 2004

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Sometimes, I just don’t know where to begin with these reviews. There are bad movies, there are really bad movies, and then there are movies such as this. When it comes to DVD, extremely bad comedies are the lowest of the low. Bad dramas, horror films or love stories are usually only bad because they are tired and predictable. While that doesn’t make them any less annoying, at least they are comfortable. A bad comedy, however, goes beyond those other annoyances and creates something that is truly uncomfortable. It’s …
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G.I. Joe Season 1 Part 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 6th, 2004

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Synopsis

G.I. Joe is the collective name of a secret assault force who are locked in combat with thenefarious terrorist organization Cobra (who certainly can afford much nicer accommodationsthan al-Qaeda). Adventures include everything from a giant mutated bacteria to the swordExcalibur. There are also four two-parter episodes.

The animation is typical 80s Saturday morning: crap. The stories move quickly enough, butit is surprising how many of the Joes sound deeply stupid. A…
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South Park – The Complete Fourth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 6th, 2004

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South Park had peaked with Season 3. The film was a huge hit and some of the best stuff came out that year. Season 4 would become a more up and down year. It’s obvious that the Stone and Parker team decided to push the envelope a bit further. This is also the year we got wheelchair bound Timmy. I liked Timmy at first, but he just gets old fast. One of the highlights of this season is the last episode. Another Mr. Hanky Christmas episode has the boys creating a special computer Christmas card called “The Spirit of Chr…
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Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 6th, 2004

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Synopsis

Cody Banks (Frankie Muniz) is training at a CIA summer camp. A midnight drill that resultsin the flight of the camp leader turns out not to have been a drill at all. It turns out that the man isa villain (so why did the CIA let him run the camp at all?) and he has absconded with a mind-control device. Muniz is sent to England to track him down, where he hooks up with fellow teenspy Hannah Spearritt and adult-yet-childlike handler Anthony Anderson.

The idea of a CIA …
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Kotch

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 6th, 2004

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Synopsis

Walter Matthau is Joseph P. Kotcher, a doting grandfather who is rapidly wearing out hiswelcome at the home of his son and daughter-in-law. Increasingly unwanted, Matthau finallyrebels when life in a retirement home looms. He winds up hitting the road with a pregnantteenager, and once again he is needed.

Jack Lemmon made his directorial debut with this piece that simultaneous goes all-out andtakes the easy way in its determined effort to be heartwarming. Matthau, ra…
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