Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 7th, 2003
Surrounded by hundreds of extras in China’s Forbidden City director Don Tyler (played by Donald Sutherland) is hit with a creative draught and doesn’t know where to go with his latest masterpiece. YoYo (played by Ge You who some of you may remember from Farewell my Concubine) is hired to be the documentary making of camera man befriends the troubled Tyler. Tyler and YoYo discuss film maker and philosophy and happen upon the idea that in Chain if someone over the age of 70 dies the funeral is not sad but happy, Tyler ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 7th, 2003
Sam (Chad Donella) is a down on his luck artist who has just been told by his professor that he sucks as an artist and dumped by his girlfriend. The same wind that blows his life a way also brings him Hope (Erin Bartlett) who shows him how to get his smile back. As they part ways he writes down her phone number on his hand, this disappears though as it is raining heavily. After taking up a job as a delivery man for his friend’s coffee shop he finally finds her but, she is now in need of someone to show her her smile. On the way to restore Hope’s zest for life he finds his..
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 6th, 2003
Synopsis
John Wayne is brave scout leading an enormous wagon train of settlers through hostilecountry to their promised land. All the expected trappings of the western epic are present andcorrect: cliffs, storms, battles, stampedes, the works. The western was already very wellestablished as a genre by the time of this 1930 release, having flourished during the silent periodas well, but here is where Wayne comes to prominence. Due the film’s lack of success (becauseof an early widesc...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 6th, 2003
Synopsis
A single mother, harried beyond all bounds and desperate for work, is forced to leave heryoung, resentful son in the care of his deaf-mute grandmother for a couple of months. The seven-year-old is mightily displeased, and repulses his grandmother’s attempts to create a bond.Gradually, however, she begins to win him over. A low-key, thoughtful film, The Way Homebenefits from very real performances, and a kid who is convincingly mean and spiteful in theearly goings.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 6th, 2003
Synopsis
Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson are playing the leads in a musical version of The Tamingof the Shrew, and they share a fair bit in common with their characters. We move back and forthbetween the performance of the musical-within-the-musical and the backstage antics. Will oursquabbling couple get back together? And what role will the two loquacious mobsters play?Though not in the same league as Singin’ in the Rain, Kiss Me Kate is still a prime example ofits genre, with tune...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 6th, 2003
Synopsis
Stuart Whitman is a gentleman gambler, on the run after having killed a man in a duel. JohnWayne is the Texas Ranger who tracks him down. But when it turns out that there is a muchworse gang of criminals on the loose (the Comancheros of the title), Wayne enlists the help of hisprisoners in defeating the real bad guys.
Audio
The sound has been remixed into 4.0 surround, and this is the only version of the Englishlangauge track provided (it is nice if...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 6th, 2003
Synopsis
Young Father Amaro arrives in a small rural parish. He is an instant hit with the locals, inparticular the obsessively devout Amelia, who abandons her more secular boyfriend. Amarobecomes entangled in the power games between the church and a reform-minded newspaper,which outed Amaro’s superior as being in the pocket of the local drug lord. Amaro also findshimself more and more attracted to Amelia, and eventually succumbs to temptation. The Crimeof Padre Amaro makes for inte...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 6th, 2003
Synopsis
The Civil War has just ended. In fact, John Wayne leads a Union assault on the Confederacythree days after the surrender -- it takes that long for the news to reach him. Disgusted by brokenpromises, Wayne heads for greener pastures in Mexico, as does former Confederate colonel RockHudson. Their paths inevitably cross, and they become allies against forces that threatenboth.
Audio
Here’s a puzzler. The other recent John Wayne films from Fox (The Big ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 6th, 2003
Synopsis
John Wayne and Stewart Granger strike it rich in Alaska during the gold rush. Wayne travelsdown to Seattle to fetch Granger’s fiancee, but discovers she has already married another man.Wayne, who has no use for romance himself (you can see where this is heading), convincesnightclub performer Capucine to return to Alaska with him as a potential wife for Granger. Thetone is light and rollicking, with the mood set by a barnstormer of a bar fight in the openingscene. Great fun....
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 4th, 2003
Synopsis
The story opens in 18th-Century England. Jim Hawkins (played by the very American BobbyDriscoll) helps his mother run a tavern. One of their guests is William Bones, a old seaman whois being hunted by a group of former comrades. He dies of a heart attack, but not before givingJim a map of Treasure Island. The local squire, excited by the map, organizes an expedition tofind the treasure. Unfortunately, as ship’s cook he unknowingly hires notorious pirate Long JohnSilver. Fal...
