Studio

Beauty & the Beast

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 22nd, 2002

Synopsis

Likely the best version of the tale of a beautiful young woman and the beast who loves hersince Jean Cocteau’s 1945 film, this one has all the strengths of Disney’s best features: top-notchanimation, lively songs, humorous characters but some solidly gothic scares as well.

Audio

Fabulous on all counts. The reproduction is flawless and distortion free. The effects arestrong in both rear speaker presence and left-right separation. The music dominates, h…
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Serpico

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 21st, 2002

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Al Pacino started his career with The Godfather, but Serpico went a long way to introducing filmgoers to the raw talent he still possesses. Based on the true story of an officer’s lone fight against corruption in the New York City PD, Serpico is gritty and almost documentary-like in style. Sydney Lumet’s stylized direction would create a template that countless future cop films continue to emulate. A credit to Lumet’s ability to spot talent rests in the fact that this was considered largely a cast of unknowns.
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Quicksilver

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2002

Synopsis

Kevin Bacon is a high-rolling stock trader. When he screws up and loses it all, he becomes(naturally) a gifted bicycle messenger, and so rebuilds his confidence. Many bike tricks and GiorgioMoroder songs ensue. Dire.

Audio

The 2.0 mix gets off to a strong start, with a truly impressive street environment simulatedduring the opening credits. Thereafter, however, the FX are pretty minimal, and take a back seatto the endless, horrible 80’s soundtrack. …
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Final Encounter

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 18th, 2002

Synopsis

On an unnamed planet hundreds of years in the future, two cities — Brecca and Obsidian –have been at war for almost a century. They are but shattered remnants of their former selves,and the war carries on pointlessly. The governing general of Brecca leads a small expedition toObsidian on a quest that might finally bring the war to an end. The film has some of the post-apocalypse-on-a-budget feel of Albert Pyun epics (the Nemesis series) or stuff like CircuitryMan. This b…
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Doppelganger

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 18th, 2002

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Synopsis

Drew Barrymore returns to Los Angeles after stabbing her conniving mother to death in ahilariously operatic sequence. But is Barrymore really guilty? Was the crime committed by herdoppelganger? Is she crazy? Possessed? Or is something else afoot? George Newbern plays hernew roommate, a shy, aspiring screenwriter, and he gets tangled up in her mystery. A tangledmystery it is too, and the film gets so carried away that it doesn’t really tie up all the loose ends.The ending, t…
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Country Bears, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 17th, 2002

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Synopsis

Beary Barrington (voice of Haley Joel Osment) runs away from his (human) adoptive familyto seek out Country Bear Hall. When it turns out that the evil Christopher Walken hasdevelopment plans that include the Hall’s demolition, Beary is determined to re-unite theCountry Bears for a benefit concert that will save the Hall.

Audio

The big star of the soundtrack is the music — arena-style country rock that will either haveyou stomping your feet or slitt…
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Wendigo

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 17th, 2002

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Synopsis

A couple and their young son are driving to their vacation home in the Catskills. They hita deer on the highway, accidentally ticking off one of the hunters, whose elevator doesn’t go allthe way to the penthouse, if you know what I mean. The boy, already on edge from the death ofthe deer and the lurking menace of the hunter, also begins to have visions of the hungry spiritWendigo. Whether the supernatural events are real or imagined is left ambiguous, as in The Turnof the S…
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Enigma

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 17th, 2002

Synopsis

Dougray Scott plays Tom Jericho, brilliant but psychologically fragile code-breaker. He wasinstrumental in cracking the German Enigma code, and is needed again, since the code haschanged. He is still trying to put himself back together after a wrenching relationship with theglamorous Saffron Burrows, who has disappeared. As he works on Enigma, Scott also getsinvolved with Kate Winslet. The two of them try to solve the mystery of Burrows’ disappearance.The intelligent script…
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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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Buying the Cow

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

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Synopsis

This movie presents the question of “Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free”? David (Jerry O’Connell) is forced to face this question when his girlfriend of 5 years Sarah (Bridgette Wilson) leaves for New York for two months and leaves him with the ultimatum of marry me or move on. He is helped along with his decision by the usually colorful cast of comic side kicks played Ryan Reynolds and Bill Bellamy. This movie just never really seems to get going, with one notable exception…
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My Wife is an Actress

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 8th, 2002

Synopsis

Charlotte Gainsbourg plays film star Charlotte. Her husband Yvan Attal (who also wrote anddirected the film) plays Charlotte’s husband Yvan. So far so postmodern. Yvan becomes jealousin this slight but engaging comedy when Charlotte’s next role has her co-starring with anotoriously sexy British actor (Terence Stamp).

Audio

Very solid soundtrack, though limited to 2.0. The music sounds fine, and the sound effects,though low key, are enough to create …
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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 8th, 2002

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Synopsis

Surely you know the story: cute little alien is left behind by his fellows, and befriends youngElliott (Henry Thomas). Elliott and his siblings do their best to help E.T. phone home and getrescued, but meanwhile the government is also on the hunt for the hapless fellow. The re-releasefeatures improved special effects, a couple of restored scenes, and miscellaneous other fixingup. Granted, the film does look slicker (though not all the new CGI elements are entirelynecessary,…
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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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Sunshine State

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

Synopsis

The setting is the imaginary Florida town of Delrona Beach. It isn’t the most attractive placein the world, and there are rival developers moving in, each with their own ideas on how theplace should be bought and remade. Some of the characters, such as Marly (Edie Falco) needto escape. Others, like Desiree (Angela Bassett) are, on the contrary, returning to their roots. Thescript is low-key and finely tuned, building toward small epiphanies. The characters are nicelyfleshed…
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SpongeBob Squarepants: Sea Stories

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

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Synopsis

SpongeBob tries to make Gary the snail take a bath. SpongeBob tries out an extreme sport(“riding the hooks”). And so on. More good-natured goofiness, and I have to confess this guy isbeginning to grow on me.

Audio

The 2.0 sound is very crisp and clear, completely distortion-free. The surround effect,however, is minimal. Even the music barely registers.

Video

No disappointment with the picture, however. Many TV shows, for som…
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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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Men in Black II

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 1st, 2002

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Men in Black was a landmark film that almost came out of nowhere. Tom Baker’s standard setting makeup effects combined with the Lethal Weapon-like chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made it one of the best simple entertainment films in recent memory. The problem with a sequel is you aren’t going to sneak up on an innocent audience. Expectations are high and this film does not meet those high expectations. With that said, however, it really is an entertaining film. All the great elements from the original film are here: Frank the Pug is much more involved, Tony Shalhoub’s Jeebs is still loosing his head over the MIB, and The Practice’s Lara Flynn Boyle is a far more attractive bad guy … eh girl … eh something.
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Spider’s Web

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

Synopsis

Kari Wuhrer is an ambitious corporate lawyer constantly hitting the glass ceiling in a male-dominated world. Her affair with Stephen Baldwin leads to a $40-million theft, and doubt,deception and betrayal follow. Now, if Wuhrer really turned your crank in Eight Legged Freaks,then you might be interested in a film that has her naked as often as possible (and thus makingthe plot’s pseudo-feminism even more laughable). And, if you’re into trivia, one-time JamesBond George Lazen…
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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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Fat City

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 27th, 2002

Synopsis

Stacy Keach is a boxer in serious decline, now working odd jobs and hooking up withneurotic alcoholic Susan Tyrrell. He runs into Jeff Bridges, a young man who might have a futureas a boxer (emphasis on “might”). These are all downtrodden losers in an ugly California town.Fat City is definitely not for everyone. It is well put together, and the performances are great, butthe pace is very slow, and not very much happens.

Audio

The sound is mono, and …
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Desert Saints

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 27th, 2002

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The only reason I can see for this film getting a DVD release is the sudden reemergence of Kiefer Sutherland’s popularity with the trendy TV show 24. In all fairness to Sutherland he is the best thing about the film. He does an outstanding job of portraying the brooding hit man. The supporting cast is weak and uninteresting. Although Desert Saints is rated R and was a theatrical release it has the basic feel of a made for TV film with nudity. The most annoying thing about the film is the intercut of future scenes for no apparent reason than to achieve a film noir art flavor.

Raw Heat

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 27th, 2002

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Raw Heat is actually the video release of an early 90’s TV movie called Victim Of Love. Pierce Brosnan was cashing in on his Remington Steele fame then, not the much more sophisticated Bond image he struts today. Recently Brosnan announced he has been signed to at least one more Bond film after Die Another Day. If Raw Heat is the caliber of films he would otherwise be making count his further commitment to Bond as the greatest escape in 007 history.

Dog Soldiers

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 26th, 2002

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This movie stunned me in its completely unexpected excellence. Its unrecognized title, cast of minors, typical B-movie premise, and sponsorship by the government of Luxembourg all suggested a weak slasher film to follow. Like Ginger Snaps before it, however, Dog Soldiers is a new brand of monster movie that blends subtle talent with creative plots, superb directorship, spectacular camera work, and over the top action to take viewers completely by surprise.

Before I continue, here’s the synopsis:…
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