Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 12th, 2002
A truly atrocious television mini-series (the second in the “V” series) has been resurrected for “V: The Final Battle.” This is (apparently) the second in the V series (“V” stands for Visitors, or maybe Vituperative snake aliens), and shockingly, not the last. In fact, the “Final Battle” was apparently followed by a weekly TV series which – irony alert – ended up being cancelled in favour of “Dallas.” Wow! What times the eighties were!
At any rate, this DVD wraps a mediocre TV series in a mini...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 12th, 2002
Synopsis
Nothing much happens in the nothing town where Tobey Maguire and Wilson Cruz live.Nothing that is, until the arrival of sexy Amy Hathaway and her sleazy dad Adam West (yes, thatAdam West). He uses her as jailbait with which to blackmail local bigshots. Then there’sChristina Naify, in town to kill a sleazy doctor. She has a very nice car too, which Maguire, Cruzand Hathaway steal for a joy ride... A little slow in getting it into gear, and a little uncertain intone, but an i...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 11th, 2002
Well. Where to begin? At this point, no-one expected less than a truly amazing DVD release of Episode II from Fox, and true to form, they have certainly delivered. The Attack of the Clones release sets the new standard for audio and video, as did Episode I before it.
It is interesting, though, to examine this DVD relative to the release of Episode I. The Phantom Menace DVD had a lot riding on it – the first Star Wars film to be released on DVD would set the precedent for future releases, and it had the furt...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 10th, 2002
Written by Dan Bradley
Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) has been about everywhere on earth, including to hell and back. It only seems fitting that his tenth feature takes him not only into space, but into the future as well. With the highest production value of a Jason movie to-date and one of the niftiest extra features I’ve ever seen, Jason X’s futuristic settings, slayings and familiar action feel right at home on DVD.
The plot for Jason X is simple, albeit a huge departure from previous slasher films. After repeated execution at...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 9th, 2002
What Killed the Mega-Beasts?
Wow! This Discovery Channel documentary uses high-end (not quite Monsters Inc., but getting close…) animation to bring to life the out-sized creatures that populated the world between two- and fifty-thousand years ago. Live action and animation are blended smoothly to create truly excellent scenes of monster-sized beavers, and of Native American mammoth hunts – truly a spectacle to be seen and very well executed. These animated sequences are seamlessly blended with the Disc...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 8th, 2002
Synopsis
A colony of genetically mutated rats is making more and more violent forays into the livesof New Yorkers. Department store security head Madchen Amick and exterminator VincentSpano are on the front lines, determined to stop the assault. The plot and characters are standard-issue TV fare. This is the R-rated version of the film, so you see stuff that won’t be showing upon the TV broadcast, and it’s pretty obvious what that stuff is: an ear-removal moment, and somelaughably g...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 7th, 2002
Synopsis
Jolie is a Seattle-area news reporter whose apparently perfect life is derailed when streetprophet Tony Shaloub predicts she is going die in a week. Becoming convinced that Shaloub isright, Jolie re-examines her priorities. She is helped out by cameraman Ed Burns, with whom she(naturally) has an extremely prickly relationship when the story begins. Jolie and Burns are bothsuperb, and the film has a slick look to it. On the minus side, the film seems to have some prettyharsh...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 5th, 2002
Synopsis
The conspiracies are in full swing in this season. There are some very ambitious episodeshere too, notably “Triangle” -- a time travel tale shot primarily with very long takes.
Audio
Very, very nice sound. As with most TV shows, the music dominates the surround, but thereare some good contributions from the sound effects as well. The result is an expansive feel to thesound unusual for television productions.
Video
Though there is a ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 5th, 2002
Synopsis
In eighteenth-century France, a mysterious beast is terrorizing the countryside. Sent toinvestigate is naturalist Gregoire de Fronsac, who arrives with Mani, his Native Americansidekick (who is a dab hand at martial arts, among other useful skills). The film is completelynuts and completely silly, and its racial politics are a postcolonial theorist’s wet dream, but it isalso hugely entertaining.
Audio
Absolutely flabbergasting. At the level of volum...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 5th, 2002
Synopsis
Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is, you guessed it, the middle child of a family that gives theSimpsons a run for their money in the demented dysfunctionality department. The fourth wall isbroken, reality goes rubber, and almost anything is possible in each episode.
Audio
The sound is clear and free of distortion, but is otherwise uninspiring. There is very little byway of surround effects. Even the music barely registers. So the experience is not really any...
