Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 24th, 2008
A decade or so ago, Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca came to a theatre near you. It received a fair amount of critical acclaim, including a few award nods for production design and music, but wasn’t much of a commercial success. Beats me why not, because the film is right up there with the best in the science fiction genre, at least in my book.
Now on a Special Edition DVD from Sony Pictures, Gattaca has another shot at the mass popularity it deserves. But does the special disc treatment add anything to improve its chances?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 9th, 2008
Without knowing if he is or not, I’m willing to bet that director James Gray is a fan of The Godfather. His previous films, The Yards and We Own the Night show flashes and flourishes of The Godfather so familiar, it’s uncanny. Also, while The Yards featured Sonny Corleone, We Own the Night features Tom Hagen.
Funny, huh?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 15th, 2008
Barrows, Alaska, is just settling down for a month-long winter’s night. Many of the residents leave for the dark period, but those who remain encounter a series of strange crimes (all the cell phones in town being stolen and melted, for instance). It turns out that the incidents are the work of a man preparing the way for an invasion of vampires. After all, what better hunting ground than a town with no day? Josh Hartnett leads a dwindling band who hunker down and struggle against overwhelming odds.
Faithfully transcribing Steve Niles’ graphic novel to the screen, this is an enormous breath of fresh air in a horror market dominated by poor remakes of Asian films and tired franchises. The opening shots are breathtaking in their beauty, simultaneously (and appropriately) echo Nosferatu and John Carpenter’s version of The Thing. Those are the films that are the spiritual forefathers of this one, which melds the atmospheric chill of the latter with the thoroughly horrible vampires of the former. There is nothing glamorous about these vampires. They are completely vicious, ghastly creations, and are thus the first truly frightening vampires to grace theatrical screens in many and many a year. But as unappealing as its monsters are, the film is nonetheless filled with images of beauty as breathtaking as it is terrible. An overhead shot of the town under siege is a perfect example, and demonstrates a real commitment to the art of horror on the part of the filmmakers. If the sense of hopelesness and dread can’t fully be sustained for the length of the film, this is nonetheless one of the most effective and gorgeously crafted horror films in recent memory.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 29th, 2008
What happened to Cuba Gooding Jr.? Since when did he have to take Eddie Murphy's sloppy seconds? The man has an Academy Award for crying out loud. OK, that was twelve years ago from Jerry McGuire, and Cuba has made Snow Dogs and Boat Trip since then, but I still kinda believe in him. After all, this is the guy who said "Show me the money" and made Tom Cruise say "I love black people!" Wasn't that great? Talent like that doesn't just fade away into bolivian like Mike Tyson would say.
Apparently Cuba didn't heed the advice that you should avoid working with kids and animals because they'll always steal the show from you. Or the advice that you should avoid crappy sequels to kids movies. Maybe he lost out to Scott Baio on Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 and decided never to miss an opportunity like that ever again. Maybe he needs to consider hiring a new agent. Maybe we never hear from Cuba again. Only time will tell if he can stand the test of time...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 28th, 2008
While strolling through the local Blockbuster store, I'm always amazed at how many direct-to-video sequels there are to big name movies. Sure, Bring it On was never in the Lord of the Rings echelon of franchises, but it was still a successful movie at the box-office. Yet I still can't get over the fact that Bring it On now has its own trilogy, just like LOTR.
Most of these low-budget sequels exist solely to cash in on the movie's title, which is usually unrelated to the original film. The roles are recast or characters done away with, and some dumbed-down script that rehashes the first film is approved. But every once in a while, a cheapie comes along that does more with less, and surpasses the original. See my review for I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer for more proof of this. Usually, it has to do with the talent attached to these films. IAKWYDLS featured the sure-handed direction of up-and-comer Sylvain White, who is slated to helm the big-budget Castlevania movie, and White Noise 2: The Light was directed by Patrick Lussier of the surprisingly good Dracula 2000 and an accomplished editor.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on January 22nd, 2008
Screwball comedies can be fun, sometimes. The comedy where the main cast members have the intelligence of a three-toed sloth...combined. Dumb & Dumber was a good example. Gags that get created simply on the premise of their inadequate brain power. However, Dumb & Dumber created an awful sequel. What's worse is that created a few wannabes in the process. One of those films arguably is Brothers Solomon. However, this viewer hoped just for a second that I wouldn't be holding my head in my lap the entire ninety three minutes asking for my very painful headache to go away.
John & Dean Solomon (played by Will Arnett & Will Forte) are brothers whose mother had died and were brought up in the arctic by their father Ed(played by Lee Majors). However, Ed goes ill and lapses into a coma. According to the doctor, his last wish is to have a grandbaby. However, John & Dean are not exactly very bright nor very lucky in love. After a few crappy dates, they decide to explore other methods of having a baby. They decide to contact a lady, Janine (played by Kristen Wiig) who was interested in carrying a baby for them to term. After brief negotiations (which somehow ended higher than the price Janine started out at), the brothers end up in a sperm donor bank. Janine is successfully impregnated and the journey really begins as the brothers learn to become fathers and hilarity ensues.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 12th, 2008
When Close Encounters of the Third Kind came out in 1977, a young Steven Spielberg was coming off of the unexpectedly phenomenal success of Jaws. This was the director's chance to solidify his career as a well-respected filmmaker, and build a lifelong career. While most directors would have either gone the route of making Jaws II or picking up a no-brainer script from a proven scriptwriter, Spielberg wagered his success on the odd tale of a possibly mentally deranged individual's belief in extra-terrestrial life. What he came away with was a film that won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, was nominated for four Golden Globes (including Best Picture and Best Director), and has become synonymous with the legacy of the famed director.
Normally I would take this opportunity to go over the basic plot of the film, but this is a classic. Most film buffs are already well versed in the plot of this film, and those who are not should be ashamed of themselves. The real story here is not the fact that this film has been released yet again. The story is the manner in which it has been released. In addition to Spielberg's original version of the film, he also re-cut the film into a Special Edition in 1980. In 1998, the film was re-cut yet again, in a version that the Director considers to be his definitive cut. All three versions are included on this three-disc set, so there is plenty here to warrant a purchase for any Close Encounters fan. All versions have been completely remastered, and the set is packaged in a box that reminds one of the excellent packaging of The Soprano's sets.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 31st, 2007
In the recent days and weeks since the Lindsay Lohan film I Know Who Killed Me arrived on video, she’s discussed the details behind a car accident in which she may or may not have been under the influence of alcohol. It only seems fitting, since this film is a carwreck of substantial proportions, and we probably have to ask whether or not Michael and Dina’s daughter was on something when she agreed to make the movie.
Written by Jeff Hammond in his first feature film screenplay (big shocker there) and directed by Chris Sivertson (The Lost), Lohan appears as Aubrey Fleming, who is abducted and tortured by a mysterious criminal mind. The next thing Lohan knows, she wakes up in a hospital, without any memory of what’s happened to her except for some telling physical signs, and has no memory of this person named Aubrey. In her mind, she’s Dakota, an exotic dancer and proverbial grown up girl. In Aubrey’s absence, Dakota frequently bumps heads with her parents Daniel (Neal McDonough, Minority Report) and Susan (Julia Ormond, Legends of the Fall) and with boys at school.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on December 27th, 2007
Sometimes I absolutely adore anime. Great action from the far east that breaks boundaries one could only dream of. Or perhaps to tell an engaging story about a love lost long ago. Once in a while, I hate anime unfortunately. This usually occurs when they break no boundaries, tread over the same story or it plays out like hentai (tentacles in places where they don't belong). So I receive Paprika to review. Hoping I would like it, I quickly stuffed it in my dvd player and found the following:
Paprika is the story of what would happen if somebody built a machine (called the "DC Mini" here, presumably the Mini DreamCatcher) that would allow psychotherapists to enter their patient's dreams and help them understand their hidden meaning. The DC Mini was designed and built by Dr. Kosaku Tokita, an extremely large fellow who is basically a child at heart. The main therapist Dr. Atsuko Chiba uses the device to enter her patient's dreams as "Paprika". Paprika is a fun and whimsical being and in contrast to the doctor who is very serious and laid back. Her primary patient for the film is Detective Konakawa Toshimi. He is having a recurring dream where he is trying to find this killer on the case he is working on. However, he can never make that breakthrough as the killer keeps escaping thru the various scenes in his dream.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 18th, 2007
TV reporter Jason Behr is the reincarnation of warrior from 500 years ago, charged with protecting a woman (Amanda Brooks, also a reincarnation) whose destiny is to sacrifice herself so that a mystical giant serpent (an Imoogi) can become a dragon. Unfortunately, an evil Imoogi named Buraki wants the power for itself, and summons a giant reptilian army that lays waste to LA in the search for Brooks.
The most elaborate South Korean project ever isn’t a patch on the far superior The Host, but is still a very entertaining monster mash. Though shot in English with an American cast (including Robert Foster as a kind of Obi Wan Kenobi), the hilariously nonsensical dialogue sounds very translated indeed. The plot has very little flow to it, what with our star-crossed lovers fleeing Buraki in one scene, but taking time out for a meeting in a coffee shop in the next. Then there’s the fact that the gigantic Buraki seems to be able to arrive in large urban areas without anyone noticing his 200-metre presence. One can also chuckle at the flashbacks within flashbacks that set up the back story. But a great deal can be forgiven thanks to the copious monster footage. This is a film that delivers on its promises, and once the rampage starts, the action is non-stop. The CGI nature of the beasts may be pretty obvious, but the creatures are also very detailed. As a strange cross-cultural mix of period fantasy and urban monster rampage, this is pretty infectious fun.
