Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 13th, 2002
Synopsis
Bill Murray (finding some difficulty to lose that trademark smirk) plays Larry Darrell, a man who takes nothing seriously until World War I happens to him. Disillusioned, he embarks on a quest to find meaning in life, a quest that will take him to the Himalayas and back to his home town.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2002
Synopsis
Meredith Monroe is the rich girl who's been breezing through life. Mia Kirshner is the poor girl for whom life is a struggle. Thrown together for a sociology project, they find that each has something the other needs, and dangerous wheels are set in motion. All of this is recounted in flashback, as Sheriff Taye Diggs (looking a bit young for the role) investigates the cause of Kirshner's near-fatal drug overdose.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2002
Synopsis
The Masque of the Red Death is one of Corman's most sumptuous Poe pictures. Vincent Price plays the decadent Prince Pospero, presiding over sadistic revels while the plague rages outside his castle walls. The plague, however, is personified here, and has plans for Prospero. In The Premature Burial, Ray Milland is obsessed with the fear that he will be buried alive. Guess what happens? Though not as good as Masque, this film has long been absent from home video, and its appearance here is ver... welcome.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2002
Synopsis
Bad boy Spike discovers the benefits of calling the title phone number for his "horrorscope." Bad things happen to the people who tick Spike off. But Spike doesn't need help as much as his put-upon cousin Hoax does. And Hoax's addiction to the number is going to spell bad news for everyone.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 13th, 2002
Synopsis
Minerva Mirabal (Salma Hayek) is an independent spirit in a society where that can get you killed. Her spiritedness, present from childhood, gradually evolves into outright rebellion against the brutal regime of General Trujillo (Edward James Olmos). The personal cost is heavy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 12th, 2002
After a dismal resurrection on film with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, it appeared that the crew of the good ship Enterprise was finally stilled forever. Enter two heroes to rival Kirk and Spock in Harve Bennett and Nicholas Myers. Star Trek II is everything that shines about Star Trek. Finally the triumvirate of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy dazzle longtime fans with the chemistry that made the original series so enduring. In The Motion Picture, the characters come off stiff and cold. They hardly seem to know each other. In Wrath of Khan we believe these old friends haven’t missed a beat. Add to all of this perhaps the greatest Star Trek villain of all time in Ricardo Montalban’s enigmatic and obsessive Khan and you truly see Star Trek at its very best.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 11th, 2002
Synopsis
SpongeBob and his friends are up to their usual misadventures. SpongeBob encounters the Flying Dutchman, is turned into a snail, mistakes Squidward for a ghost, and so on.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 11th, 2002
The final (so far) Lethal Weapon is not a bad film at all, but it does suffer from the escalation syndrome. After three explosive films number 4 finds itself in the trap of having to try too hard to top its predecessors. While Chris Rock is a funny guy and he adds some great moments in the film, he’s just simply not necessary and distracts from the Glover, Gibson, Pesci trilogy of hysterics. I could also do without the domestication of Riggs through Russo’s character. All that said, you won’t be disappointed because it’s back to Disney World and another film literally exploding with rides.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 11th, 2002
Synopsis
Two brothers survive a plane crash (a crash in which their father dies, but they don't seem too broken up about the sad event), and find themselves washed up on the island of Dinotopia. As the name implies, this is a land where humans and dinosaurs co-exist. We explore this island with the brothers, and get caught up in their quest to help save this world in its hour of peril. The characters here are a long way from believable, and so the main draw is the special effects, which are, by telev...sion standards, most impressive.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 9th, 2002
Synopsis
Driving through the middle of nowhere, Ben, his daughter KT, and his girlfriend Nicky arrive in a strange little town. It turns out that arriving here is much easier than leaving. And that's all I'm going to tell you, other than to say that, as the title says, Satanism is at work here. Do not read the summary on the DVD's case, which gives absolutely everything away. Hit the film cold, and you'll be impressed by a knockout opening, some truly eerie moments, and a compelling sense of darkness...and despair. The Satanic ceremonies go on a bit long, but they're still better than others I've seen of this type. A minor gem.
