Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 22nd, 2004
Universal got it right a few years ago when they adapted The Grinch who Stole Christmas. Jim Carrey was perfectly cast as the heartless Grinch, the costumes and set design were excellent and the mild deviations from Dr. Seuss’ classic were appropriate and added more heart to the story. The most important aspect that was captured was the moral of the story – that being angry and miserable leads to a unsatisfying life of loneliness and that an act of kindness can fill the world with joy.
Now take all...of the above things that were done right, remove them, mix in crude humor and double-entendres (that are way above the level of the intended audience) and you have The Cat in The Hat.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 9th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 26th, 2004
For years different TV shows and movies have speculated not as too whether there is life on other planets but, what are they doing on earth. Some shows like the X-files play out that the powers that be have sold us down the river to ensure their survival with a hostile alien race, or like in ID-4 and the Alien series are here to kill everyone and use the planet for their own will.
Director Steven Spielberg has looked at aliens and their involvement with the human race in a number of his films and with the...help of 1 writer and 10 directors brings us Taken. We follow 3 different families through three generations as they search for the existence of alien life on earth or try to understand why they are being abducted. The story is told through 10 different 80-90 minute episodes the best of which is “Acid Tests”. To give away much more of the story line then this would be an injustice, I recommend that you owe it to yourself to see this.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 22nd, 2004
The third and hopefully final entry in the American Pie series, American Wedding keeps with the sweet charms and gross out comedy of the first two movies, but can’t live up to the humor of the original or its sequel. Average Joe Jim, (Jason Biggs) and former band geek Michelle, (Alyson Hannigan) are now engaged to be wed and must decide whether raucous Stifler (Seann William Scott) should be invited to the wedding. Shenanigans ensue involving a night out at a gay club, a bachelor party, pleasing the in-laws, and pubi... hair on a wedding cake.
Sure, Stifler eats dog poop and does for curse words what bullet time did for special effects, but missing characters and lack of novelty cannot lift this one into the rare category of sequels being as good or better than the previous installments. While it offers plenty of funny moments, most courtesy of Stifler, the movie just seems tired and worn out. The filmmakers should excuse themselves from the table after this. No more pie for them.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 14th, 2004
If Sofia Coppola hasn’t redeemed herself from the whole The Godfather, Part III debacle by now, then it simply can’t be done. Lost in Translation is a beautiful film, the likes of which are rarely seen on this side of the Atlantic. (Of course, to be fair, the film was filmed entirely on location in Tokyo.)
Shot on a shoestring budget, Coppola has definitely made a mountain out of a molehill with this film, taking her small story of two ships that cross in the night, and making that night as br...ght and colorful as Vegas on New Year’s Eve. The result is a character study that is delicate and subtle, yet it stands out sharply against the chaos that surrounds it.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 25th, 2003
Law and Order was never really driven by the actors and their roles. The “ripped from the headlines” stories, along with a decision to avoid the relationship clutter of most cop shows, was the defining edge. Note that not one actor or character from the original series’ first season remains. Criminal Intent is vastly different. Dick Wolf readily admits that the third Law and Order series was intended as a modern day Sherlock Holmes. Vincent D’Onofrio was enticed away from a successful film career by the opportunity to create a unique character. The detail and quirks of his Detective Goren make this a compelling show to watch. Never before in TV has there been such a complicated character, at least not in a primetime drama. If D’Onofrio decides to call it quits, Criminal Intent will not survive as its sister shows have.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 13th, 2003
Dick Wolf reinvented the cop drama with the original Law and Order. That flagship program is the longest running drama currently in primetime. There does not seem to be an end in sight. This second version has a bit harder edge; dealing with sex crimes, it was important that the new show didn’t degrade into a “pervert” of the week scenario. The writing is top notch. For me, the addition of Richard Belzer as Homicide’s John Munsch was a stroke of genius. Belzer’s deadpan characterization is a perfect fit for such a sensitive subject. He now holds the record of an actor appearing in 5 TV shows as the same character: Homicide Life On The Street, The X-Files, Oz, Law And Order, and now Law And Order SVU.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 25th, 2003
Most sci-fi fans have a very warm place in their heart for Starbuck, Apollo, and the rest of the crew of Battlestar Galactica. At over $1 million per episode, it became the most expensive show in network history. Star Wars master Jedi f/x man John Dykstra utilized many of the techniques he developed for the Lucas enterprise. George Lucas claimed they were so close he was forced into a failed effort to sue the show for copyright infringement. Sci-Fi channel is about to relaunch this revered franchise, but the results appear so far underwhelming. (Starbuck as an airhead blonde chick?) Dressed in an amazing package that resembles a Cylon face, this is the ultimate Galactica. Glen Larson was already a network master with huge successes under his belt, like the famous forensic scientist Quincy, when he wrote and pitched the show. Galactica was a risk he did not have to take. The result was television magic. Like so many masterful shows before it, such as another famous sci-fi “enterprise”, it was never given a fair chance at the time. It was doomed to only be truly appreciated when it was finally gone.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 23rd, 2003
It has taken years to finally get a block-buster Hulk film produced, and the outcome has received mixed reviews. Grossing $132 million in the domestic box-office is usually nothing to sneeze at, but considering it cost $150 million to make the Hulk, it must still be looked at as disappointing. Many would argue that the animation was unrealistic, other would argue that it was amazing… each to their own. I, myself, found the film quite disappointing. I found the animation far too overdone, and the story to be lack...uster. I did really appreciate Ang Lee’s direction, but that is about as far as my praise will go for this film.
For those of you who have been stuck under a rock for the past 20 years, here is the basic storyline…
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 16th, 2003
“Say hello to my little friend!”
This is just one of the many cultural references that have come out of Brian DePalma’s 1983 epic film, Scarface. Al Pacino plays Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee that arrives in the United States with nothing, and leaves with everything. It’s a story about the American Dream, about excess, and about ambition. A fantastic supporting cast (including Michelle Pfeiffer, F. Murray Abraham and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), and a script by Oliver Stone makes Scarface one of the...greatest gangster films of all time.
