Studio

I Like It Like That

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

Synopsis

Welcome to the Bronx, here visualized as a place of chaotic energy and noise, where anindividual can find nary a moment’s peace. Lauren Vélez’s life is turned upside down when herwell-meaning but rather air-headed and selfish husband is arrested. Vélez must fend for herselfnow and provide for her children. She winds up working for record producer Griffin Dunne, butthis job leads to its own set of misunderstandings.

The patter is non-stop and overlapping, which could…
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Just For You / Here Comes the Groom

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

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Synopsis

Just For You is a Technicolor musical with Bing Crosby as a Broadway producer,and Jane Wyman as his leading lady/fiancee. Though a big financial success, Crosby has beenfalling down on the job as a father, neglecting his adolescent children. At best. He comesperilously close to losing all audience sympathy when he tears into his son’s attempts atsongwriting. He determines to turn over a new life, but his parenting skills are really put to thetest when his son falls i…
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Fancy Pants

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

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Synopsis

Bob Hope plays a hopeless American actor in England during the early 1900s. Lucille Ballis the daughter of a newly rich family, and though she may be dressed in finery, she’s very mucha bull in the china shop of English society. Believing Hope to be a butler, Ball’s mother hireshim to teach Ball some etiquette, and hauls the poor soul back to the American frontier, where allmanner of indignities ensue.

The comedy hasn’t aged particularly well, though some of the sma…
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Three Blind Mice

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

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Synopsis

When three Vietnamese men are found dead, the prime suspect is a war vet who promisedto kill them after they were acquitted of assaulting his wife. Said vet slaughtered an entire villageduring the war, and the man who got him acquitted then, Brian Dennehy, is reluctantly convincedto take on the case. Though at first it seems that the prosecution has an iron-clad case, bit by bitDennehy finds clues that point to a frame-up.

About as typical a made-for-TV mystery as o…
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Secret Window

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 12th, 2004

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Synopsis

Six months after the collapse of his marriage, writer Johnny Depp is secluded in his lakecottage, completely blocked. Then his life takes a sinister turn when a menacing John Turturroarrives on his doorstep, claiming Depp plagiarised his story. Unsatisfied with Depp’s response,Turturro begins a campaign of terror and escalating violence, perpetually eluding ineffectivepolice and private investigators.

I will not indulge in the spoiler that most plagued most reviews …
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War Zone, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 12th, 2004

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Synopsis

Made between 1991 and 2000, these disparate documentaries, complete with British narrator,cover different aspects of the Second World War. Their titles are largely self-explanatory:History of World War II is the big picture disc, with a special emphasis on the Europeantheatre. For those interested in the war with Japan, Pearl Harbor and Kamikaze/Warin the Pacific will address those needs. The Occult History of the Third Reich is evenmore speciali…
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Raggedy Rawney, The

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

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Synopsis

In an unnamed Eurpean country, during an unnamed war (vaguely WWII, but not quite), acompletely green recruit (Dexter Fletcher) is so horrified by his first encounter with combat thathe flees his unit after wounding his commanding officer. He runs across a gypsy caravan, and,disguised as a madwoman (the “rawney” of the title) he joins the band. As if things weren’talready difficult with being pursued by his unit, he also falls in love with the daughter of BobHoskins, the ca…
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Moulin Rouge (1952)

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

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Synopsis

Jose Ferrer plays artist Heri de Toulouse-Lautrec. We first see him in full sardonic flight,sketching the denizens of the Moulin Rouge cabaret. He then meets a woman of the streets (whoemphatically does not have a heart of gold) with whom he falls in love, believing she seesbeyond his deformities. She doesn’t. The first half of the film traces this unhappy episode(spending a bit too long in getting to the obvious conclusion), and then we move on to hissuccess as a painter, …
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Wild Party

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

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Synopsis

Loosely inspired by the Fatty Arbuckle case, The Wild Party tells the tale of JollyGrimm (James Coco), fading silent movie funnyman. It is 1929, and he is making one last bid fora comeback by premiering his new film at a lavish party that he hosts with his mistress (RaquelWelch). His career is over, though he refuses to admit it. At the party, frustrations, jealousies andsexual shenanigans build to a murderous climax.

I never thought I’d see a film that someh…
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Belly of an Architect, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 10th, 2004

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Synopsis

Brian Dennehy, in perhaps his most colossal performance, plays Stourley Kracklite (how’sthat for a monicker?). This American architect, accompanied by much-younger wife (ChloeWebb), arrives in Rome to curate an elaborate exhibit celebrating an 18th-Century architect withwhom he has been obsessed most of his life. What should be the pinnacle of his career turns intoa nightmare. He suspects his wife is not only having an affair, but that she is poisoning him.

Dennehy’…
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Room with a View, A

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 10th, 2004

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Joe Queenan is one of my favorite writers. He is the author of wonderfully amusing essays and books dealing with the subject of film. In his book Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler, he is bold enough to take on the challenge of watching every Merchant Ivory film, back-to-back. At one point late in the narrative, he has this to say:

As I sat there in my reclining chair with my kids lighting matches to my feet, I realized that God had created Merchant and Ivory for only one reason: because otherwise …
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Dracula Dead and Loving It

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

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Synopsis

The unfortunate Renfield (Peter MacNicol) travels to Transylvania, only to be enslaved byDracula (Leslie Nielsen). Dracula uses Renfield to help his move to England, where he preys onLucy Westenra (Lysette Anthony) and Mina (Amy Yasbeck), daughter of Dr. Seward (HarveyKorman) and fiancee of Jonathan Harker (Steven Weber). Seward and Harker fight back withthe help of Dr. Van Helsing (Mel Brooks).

Brooks’ love of vintage horror films, so evident in Young Frankenste…
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Blazing Saddles

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

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Synopsis

All the expected characters from a typical western are present in this parody, but everythingis turned on its head and made ridiculous. Cleavon Little, formerly a slave, then a railwayworker, becomes sherif (cue the racial humour) in a town besieged by the forces of the evilrailway baron Harvey Korman and henchman Slim Pickens. Also in on the fun are sharpshooterGene Wilder and saloon singer Madeline Kahn.

So the American Film Institute named this #6 on its Top 100 …
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Punky Brewster Season One

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

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Synopsis

Abandoned street kid Punky Brewster (Soleil Moon Frye) lives in an empty apartment withher dog Brandon until the building supervisor (George Gaynes) discovers her. Gruff old sort thathe is, he takes her in. Subsequent episodes see Punky’s adventures with friends, in school, and soforth.

Take Diff’rent Strokes, dump Willis, replace Gary Coleman with Soleil Moon Frye,and voilà, instant sitcom. Don’t worry about coming up with new jokes, however. In fact, youb…
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50 First Dates

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

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Synopsis

Adam Sandler is a Hawaii-based veterinarian and swinging bachelor, seducing one touristafter another. His pleasure in short-term flings comes to a crashing end when he meets DrewBarrymore, who is physically incapable of anything but a short fling: she has no short-termmemory, and begins every morning with no recollection of the day before. Sandler, however,is smitten, and puts himself through all sorts of contortions to win the girl of his dreams. Againand again and again.< ...
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Curb Your Enthusiasm – The Complete Second Season

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

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Synopsis

Larry David (playing himself) has never met a good situation that he couldn’t turn into adisaster. Though his friends and relations have his best interests at heart, the creator ofSeinfeld he sabotages them at every turn, and manages to alienate just about everyone heencounters.

The series is not unlike a cross between The Larry Sanders Show (with its causticityand plethora of actors and other Hollywood players appearing as themselves) and the mundane-…
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Nip/Tuck – The Complete First Season

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

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Synopsis

Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon are Sean McNamara and Christian Troy, plastic surgeons.Sean is the suave ladies’ man, who has ethics only when convenient and/or profitable. Christianis the better surgeon and the (by no means perfect) family man. Neither man is a prize (they areplastic surgeons, after all), but Christian at least tries to be better than he is. Models, gangsters,porn stars, and transsexuals are but a few of the characters whose live intersect with thesurgeons.

Along Came Polly

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

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Synopsis

Risk assessor Ben Stiller believes his life is unfolding according to plan. But then his newwife (Debra Messing) leaves him on their honeymoon for a French scuba instructor (aterrifyingly ripped Hank Azaria). Trying to put his life back together (with dubious help fromslob friend Philip Seymour Hoffman), Stiller runs into old classmate Jennifer Aniston (the Pollyof the title). Her bohemian character is the polar opposite of his, which leads to many dismayingsituations for h…
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Summer School

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 8th, 2004

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Summer School is one of those films that I really enjoyed as a boy growing up in the 80’s. It had crazy characters, pretty girls, funny one-liners and cool people, like Mark Harmon. Watching the film today, I can honestly say that it is as good now as it was then. The only problem is, I have matured as a person and as a movie viewer. The characters are still crazy, but they are also largely annoying. The girls are still pretty, and the foreign exchange student is the same woman who played Allota Fagina in A…
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Mystic River

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 7th, 2004

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Synopsis

This is the story of the tragic arc traced by the relationship of three friends. Kevin Bacon isa cop, Sean Penn is a shady grocery store owner, and Tim Robbins is a hollow man, irreperablydamaged after being kidnapped by paedophiles as a youth. The three had grown apart, but theirlives intersect fatefully when Penn’s daughter is murdered. Bacon investigates the case, andRobbins cannot satisfactorily account for his actions the night of the murder, much to themounting distre…
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What Price Glory

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 4th, 2004

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Synopsis

Set in France in 1918, What Price Glory centres on a company of marines headedby James Cagney. He and his more conventionally military First Sergeant (Dan Dailey) arequickly at loggerheads over the same woman, an omnipresent theme in the recent releases of theFox War Classics series. Equally obligatory, it seems, is the presence of Robert Wagner, whoseromance is a side-story here. So is the war, which really doesn’t play much of a part until the lastact. Most of the …
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Crash Dive

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 4th, 2004

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Synopsis

Crack torepedo-boat Captain Tyrone Power is detached from his beloved fast ships andassigned as second-in-command to Dana Andrews on a submarine. Power complains about thetransfer a little bit, but then sucks it up — duty, don’t you know. Tensions between the two menmount over the same woman (haven’t we had enough of that particular plot?), but they put asidetheir differences as they tail a Nazi freighter to a hidden base. There are good special effects here,but the romant…
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Prick Up Your Ears

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 4th, 2004

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Synopsis

Joe Orton was at least as controversial (if not more) for who he was than for the plays hewrote. Stephen Frears’ film (say its title aloud and fast and you’ll hear the rude pun) begins withthe murder of Orton (Gary Oldman) at the hands of his lover Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina).Then, as biographer Wallace Shawn sets about reconstructing Orton’s life, the tales of friendsand relations (particularly agent Vanessa Redgrave) lead us into extended flashbacks, showingthe move…
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Hunters, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 3rd, 2004

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Synopsis

Robert Mitchum is veteran pilot Major Cleve (Iceman) Saville. Beyond cool under pressure,he takes charge of a squadron during the Korean War. He has two difficulties to deal with. Onoeis Robert Wagner, who is too undisciplined for his, or anyone else’s, own good, despite hisprowess in shooting down MiGs. Lee Phillips can’t hit an enemy jet to save his life, but he doeshave a pretty, ignored wife (May Britt) with whom Mitchum falls in love.

The soap opera elements pl…
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Who’s the Boss? – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 2nd, 2004

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Synopsis

Tony Danza packs up daughter Alyssa Milano and leaves New York to become thehousekeeper in the suburban home of executive Judith Light. Living with her are smart-alec kidDanny Pintauro and sexually aggressive mother Katherine Helmond. Sparks (or something)ensue between Danza and Light.

Oh, the humanity! Did ever a series more perfectly embody the American sitcom at its mostmind-destroyingly mediocre? The jokes are only recognizable as such because of the strainedl…
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