Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 31st, 2004
I have had the pleasure of reviewing better films than Home Room; and I’ve certainly suffered through worse. But I am not sure I’ve reviewed a more important film. I’ve been a public high school teacher for over 8 years. Ask any educator and you’ll find that Columbine changed things for everyone, so I wasn’t sure how I would find this study of that kind of violence. The subject is handled with extreme care in Home Room. In a wise decision, the shooting occurs to a black screen. We don’t really pick up the story until after the event.
The film has two basic themes. The most obvious is the budding relationship between two teenage girls who are dramatically unalike but forced together to deal with their tragedy. The second theme is blame. Our society seems to possess a powerful need to blame someone when disaster strikes. We don’t deal well when evil has no recognizable face. This film examines that theme like no other I’ve seen before. The acting is incredibly on target. Victor Garber is excellent as the detective who is haunted by the tasks before him. Busy Phillips and Erika Christiansen nail the characters of Alicia and Deeana, our two troubled teens.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 31st, 2004
Synopsis
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (OUTM) is the third film in the conceptual trilogy of El Mariachi, Desperado, and OUTM. Its not a direct sequel, but you’ll recognize a lot of characters and imagery from the prior movies.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 29th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 28th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 27th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 25th, 2004
In 1976 a New York media group conducted a survey of the NYPD detectives. The question was: “Of all the TV cop shows, which most accurately portrays life as a detective?” The overwhelming response was the comedy Barney Miller.
It seems that real cops related to the daily grind and weekly wackos of Barney Miller. Let’s not put aside that this was also one of the most consistently funny shows on television. I remember it took me a while to accept Abe Vigoda in such a light role as Fish. My first exposure to Vigoda was the ruthless mobster in The Godfather. Barney Miller always managed to be funny while still telling a good short story. The characters were always wonderful. In Season 1 we will not meet the famous Dietrich character, but it was a joy to see the briefly shown detective Chano played by Sanford and Son’s Julio, Gregory Sierra. Unfortunately there were only 13 episodes in the first season, but they’re all here in this two-disc set.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 20th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 12th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 11th, 2004
Legends of vampires and werewolves are almost as old as time itself. Long before Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney defined these creatures for Hollywood, the myths persisted. Cave drawings in South America depict stories of changelings and blood suckers that were told 5,000 years ago. Underworld offers a refreshing spin on both tales. What if the clans of Vampires and Werewolves were at war for over a thousand years? The dark, seedy “Underworld” is visually compelling. Let’s not even talk about Kate Beckinsale. The wonderfully photographed blend of Gothic and modern settings owes much to the European locations. Imagine hi-tech cars speeding along on ancient brick streets. The pacing is often strange, lending an emotional uneasiness at times which plays handsomely into the required atmosphere.
Audio
