Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 23rd, 2005
Aliens have sent super machines to Earth. The intent is obvious. They want to remove the human infestation and relocate from their own dying world. Independence Day, right? Wrong. Almost 50 years before Rolland and Emerich pitted mankind against killer aliens, George Pal brought us a wonderful interpretation of the famous H.G. Wells novel, War of the Worlds. Although not as faithful to the source material as a Wells fan might have hoped for, Pal created a classic film with groundbreaking f/x for the 1950’s. It’s a bit of a shame that this edition is hitting stores primarily because of the Spielberg version, also soon out on DVD. I like Steven Spielberg. I really do. I have to say, however, that I was disappointed in the “remained” version of the film. Purists will say there are moments that are closer to the Wells story, but they are wrong. How can you have War of the Worlds without Martians? George Pal gave us a wonderful milestone in science fiction history; it should be truly admired with this newly mastered DVD.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 21st, 2005
Synopsis
During the crippling drought of the 1930s, con man Burt Lancaster arrives in a small town, promising to make it rain (for, of course, a small remuneration). Present here too is Katharine Hepburn, apparently doomed to spinsterhood. She will blossom under the care of Lancaster’s charming rogue.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 18th, 2005
In the poor area of Richmond, California, Ken Carter takes charge as a basketball coach, and fights his way to transform a team of rowdy boys into a team of accomplished men. Based on a true story.
There are way too many problems with COACH CARTER to call it great, but it certainly has its heart in the right place at the right time. The very first immediate problem is the script of the film. A lot of the dialogue feels like it has been overly simplified for its audience. Almost all of the actors play stock...characters, and that includes Jackson. Carter is extremely “in your face” and actually a bit obnoxious at times with all his yelling and screaming. However, with Jackson’s charisma, Jackson is able to pull it off. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing for the other actors. Even though most of them try to act in a respectable manner, I felt like I had met the character already each time another new character was introduced. They are fairly good actors (except for the irritating Ashanti), so that helps the process, but they do not make enough of an effort to make the audience feel for them.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 13th, 2005
In the event you had to move under a rock in 1997 and just crawled out from under it last week, James Cameron’s TITANIC – winner of 11 Academy Awards - recounts the tragic sinking of the supposedly indestructible ship seen through the eyes of two young lovers on board. Though the romance is fictional, it serves as a guide that will walk us through one of the most memorable events of the twentieth century.
There isn’t much to be said about this film that hasn’t been said a thousand times over in the ...ast few years. If you’re looking for some master thespians, you won’t find them here although the supporting cast, with the likes of Frances Fisher, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Victor Garber and more is quite rich. While Winslet was more than capable as Rose, a young, passionate woman betrothed to a rich asshole (Billy Zane), DiCaprio, in the main role of Jack Dawson, teetered on horrendous at times although in his defense, some of the dialogue he was given was cheese worthy of George Lucas’ best work. Both however, proved more than apt at giving us a fantastic point of view at the very real events depicted in the movie. That realism is precisely what propels Cameron’s film into the stratosphere of “historical epics”. Yes, there may be a few inaccuracies that were modified for dramatic purposes but heck, even documentaries have those. The realism was in the success Cameron had in bringing the ship and the people on it back to life for a few precious hours in order to put their story in perspective. The Kate and Leo show took up most of the screen time but in the end, it paled in comparison to what was happening to the ship itself.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 10th, 2005
It is tragic that the fourth year of Enterprise would be its last. More tragic is the fact that in the fall of 2005 for the first time in almost 20 years there would be no new Star Trek on the air. By far the worst tragedy, however, was the fact that year four of Enterprise was the year it all came together. This is by far the best overall season of Star Trek since The Next Generation. The addition of writer Many Cuto was the spark this fledgling franchise needed. With the exception of the final episode, these 2-4 eposode arcs were for the most part quite fresh and inspired. Brent Spiner’s portrayal of an early Dr. Soong is perhaps his best Trek role to date. Finally, elements of several Trek incarnations come together in a way that doesn’t rip the continuity to shreds. The Mirror double episode was brilliant. I sat down to watch it for the first time with a friend recently and was struck by the creativity it brought to the series. This is the season to get even if you haven’t really followed Enterprise at all. You will be impressed.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 3rd, 2005
The extras are the only significant difference between the Collector’s Edition and the near barebones first release of this film. Therefore, some pieces of this review will be taken from the standard release review.
If ever there was a film that was badly misunderstood it is Star Trek: Nemesis. The most common complaint I’ve heard is it was too much like an episode. Excuse me, but isn’t it supposed to be? Nemesis has everything a good Star Trek film should have. The character chemistry, space battle, a morality tale, and terrific f/x. If the film suffers at all it is from poor editing, as the collection of deleted scenes clearly shows (more on that in the special features section). As many politicians are fond of saying, “mistakes were made,” but this is a far better film than the critics or fans have given it credit for being. It deserves a second look and this 2 disc release is the perfect opportunity to revisit Star Trek: Nemesis.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 14th, 2005
Synopsis
At a gathering of all the gangs of New York City, the messianic leader proposing a unification of all the organizations is gunned down, and the Warriors are unjustly accused. They must make their way from the Bronx to Coney Island with every gang in the city out for their blood.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2005
Kenny’s gone and most of the season the boys are auditioning a new friend. While it looks like Butter has the inside track, you’ll have to watch the season to find out. Personally I miss the “They killed Kenny” jokes and was relieved that it eventually returned. South Park appeared to regain a bit of its lost creative energy in season 6. It can also be said that the show pushed its boundaries a little bit farther. There are times even I think the show goes too far. One of my favorite episodes can be found in this collection. The boys attempt to steal the master print of Raiders of the Lost Ark to thwart Lucas and Spielberg’s evil plot to add new digital effects and create a “special edition”. For all of us movie fans out there this touched home quite a bit. Cartman’s still my favorite character. The opening episode’s jab at Jared from Subway was one of the show’s most well deserved targets. Aren’t we all sick of that guy yet?
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 8th, 2005
Synopsis
Based on the novel by Clive Cussler, Sahara is a popcorn movie at its purest level. It is equal parts National Treasure and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and God help me, I actually got a kick from watching it. To give you an idea of its popularity, it was nominated for several Teen Choice awards.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 8th, 2005
Let's face it; Harrison Ford is not a particularly great actor. He is not capable of playing diversity in his roles, and he has never faded into a character. When you go to see a Harrison Ford movie, the result is always something like “Harrison Ford as the President of the United States”, or “Harrison Ford is wrongly accused of a crime he didn't commit.” Never once have I seen one of his films and came away saying “it is about this professor that goes on a quest to find the holy grail. Harrison Ford played the profe...sor.”
Having said this, I like Harrison Ford. He happens to be one of those personalities, much like William H. Macy, that is comfortable and pleasant to watch on screen. He always handles each role with care, and is never content to let a role slip by without putting effort into the feelings and intentions of the character. He is much like the great Gregory Peck in this regard, as some of Harrison the man always comes through in the characters he plays. He is always genuine, always true to himself.
