Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 5th, 2005
Not to be confused with the current film of the same name, Taxi was one of the funniest shows in television history. There simply hasn’t been a sitcom to feature so many cast members who would go on to bigger but perhaps not better things. Christopher Lloyd’s Reverend Jim has to be one of the best characters television has known. In its third year Jim would finally be around for an entire season. The show simply swept the Emmys in its third year with statues going to Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, and Christopher Lloyd (oddly enough, for a script he penned for the series). This is the year Andy Kaufman delivered Vic Ferrari to the show’s mythology. Taxi was hitting its stride on all fronts in season three. This is the show at its peak.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 4th, 2005
For the first time in Star Trek history it was decided to dedicate an entire season to tell a single story. Following a recent trend started by hits like Alias and 24, Enterprise boldly went where many had gone before. The problem with this grand idea is that character development and Trek lore were all given a back seat. Rick Berman felt the need for Trek to become more epic. Unfortunately what Enterprise really needed to do was return to its character and socially driven roots. The show did finally start in that direction, but not before losing a legion of fans. On DVD, however, this story plays out much better. Now you don’t need to worry about missing an episode and spending the rest of the entire year feeling like you’re the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on.
Season Two ended with a shocking attack on Earth that destroyed much of my home area, Florida. The Enterprise embarks on its single mission to find and stop the mysterious Xindi. Along the way we are treated to plenty of stories that are in some way interrelated to this new big picture. The season is much darker in tone, both in script and cinematically.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 3rd, 2005
Winter Solstice is one of those quiet, somber independent films. While not as flashy as The Upside of Anger (and that’s not a flashy film), Josh Sternfeld’s feature is a meditative look at a broken family trying to rebuild its life. Don’t expect any major plot twists or a flashy directing style. Solstice takes its time and builds towards something called hope.
A family tragedy as taken its toll on a Jersey family. Anthony LaPaglia plays Jim Winters, a landscape gardener. H...s sons Gabe and Pete (played by Aaron Stanford and Mark Webber, respectively) are adolescents and are trying to deal with their senses of identity. Enter the new woman down the street, Molly (played by West Winger Allison Janney). Jim takes an interest, but romance is tough since the “family tragedyâ€. There are soap opera elements in the film, but these elements are handled with quiet human rhythms.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 28th, 2005
Synopsis
It’s the Brady Bunch. What, exactly, by way of synopsis are you hoping for? At any rate, among the notable episodes is one with guest star Davy Jones of the Monkees. Plus, there’s the epic start to the season: a three-parter that has the family hitting the road with a tent trailer and running into misadventures on the way to the Grand Canyon (such as encountering a hostile prospector or Cindy and Bobby getting lost). The other ongoing thread is Jan’s inferiority complex with regards to Marci..., and her attempts to crawl out from her sister’s shadow. The show is what it is. Nostalgia for Gen X viewers, I suppose, though it does have value as something of a pop culture icon. In purely objective terms, this is television at its most innocuous and disposable.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 27th, 2005
Synopsis
And here we go again with some 37 stories of inspired stupidity. Among the crazed storylines we find the classic sitcom scenario of Plankton swapping lives with Mr. Krabs and discovering he can’t take the heat, Squidward being drawn willy-nilly into a plastic conch shell-worshipping club of SpongeBob and Patrick, the non-swimmer SpongeBob becoming a lifeguard with disastrous consequences, and so on. It’s all bright, cheerful, unobtrusively self-aware, and refreshingly silly in a way that har...ens back to classic cartoons of yore. A vital part of this generation’s cultural heritage.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 26th, 2005
It was inevitable that the tragic events of 9/11 would spawn television and film dramatizations. The catastrophe quickly influenced almost everything produced immediately afterwards. Homeland Security is a failed NBC pilot. Unlike most discarded pilots Paramount decided to release this one as a direct-to-video feature. I’m not sure what the thinking behind this move was, but it was well thought out. The very things that made this a poor subject for a series make it an even worse feature release. There have been, and here will continue to be, dramas based on the attacks. Exciting episodes, particularly those in New York, have had to wrestle with presenting these events. All have been forced to deal with the reality of the impact on our society. Our entertainment simply must reflect our lives. With that said, this is simply a tasteless and obvious exploitation of those events. The film begins with a cursory look at the attack planning and soon moves into exposing the inter-agency problems which were partly responsible for the tragedy. Before you know it the attacks have occurred and a group of folks are being assembled to work in the newly formed Homeland Security department. The major flaw is how quickly the events themselves are given in the scheme of things. There would have been more promise if they had established the characters inside the organization and dealt with the aftermath of 9/11. Instead the show is exploitation and has little to offer.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2005
I Love Lucy changed the fledgling television industry in the 1950’s. This was a time when network television was less than a decade old. Most folks had never heard of television just 15 years earlier. I Love Lucy defined the concept of a sitcom. The show was driven by the very strong personalities of the cast. Desi Arnaz was considered a charismatic Latin lover by American women. Lucy played the perfect foil and found a mountain of gold to mine in strong physical comedy. So many modern shows owe their roots to this classic that it would be impossible to mention them all here. With that said, the fifth season was a letdown. The simple truth is they were running out of ideas in the simplistic environment of this once very funny comedy. All of this season is spent taking the cast on a whirlwind tour of Europe with its forced situations. The lack of perceived spontaneity was gone. Lucy was no longer the fly in Ricky’s ointment. Oddly enough, the season does begin with one of the funniest stories of the series: Lucy stealing John Wayne’s footprints, and of course, his feet. If only that quality could have been maintained instead of a hokey tour of the Old Country.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 22nd, 2005
This is the kind of film that usually comes from the English or the French... not the Germans. Let's face it, Germany is not known for a stable of modern intellectual comedies. If you need a beer, or a fine automobile, you go to the Germans. If you need an entertaining art film, you go to France. Still, this is a film that bucks the trend... and will hopefully start a new one.
The Schultze of the title is a retired German miner that finds himself lost in his newfound abundance of free time. Eventually,...he turns to his accordion playing as a release from the banality of everyday life. This pursuit eventually leads him to discover Louisiana Zydeco music, and his world is turned upside-down. If you have seen About Schmitt, then you are on the right track with the tone of this film. Personally, however, I preferred this picture much more than the Jack Nicholson vehicle.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 3rd, 2005
With Six You Get Eggroll is special for one reason. Other than the politically incorrect title, the movie features the last film appearance by Doris Day. Too bad she couldn’t go out with a bang. I will admit: I like Doris Day. The Man Who Knew Too Much is a great film. And all that “Pillow Talk” stuff. C’mon, it’s fun. But let’s get to the Eggroll, shall we?
With Six… starts off as a fairly realistic romance/comedy. Day plays Abby McClure, the owner of a construction company (...). She’s also single with kids. Enter Jake, played by Brian Keith. He’s also on the lookout for a partner. But, naturally, complications arise; and one of these complications is Jake’s overly protective daughter (played by a very young Barbara Hershey). However, the obstacles that keep Day and Keith apart get increasingly “wacky”. Hippies and motorcycles come into play; it’s not a pretty sight. It’s sad when a 50’s icon tries to be “with it” in the late 60’s. But, on a happier note, George Carlin (in his first movie appearance) shows up for some fun.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 27th, 2005
Synopsis
While some sketch shows like The Ben Stiller Show and Mr. Show have managed to touch on the Cops parody with their material, the only one that does it regularly now is a show that uses it for inspiration.
