Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 7th, 2005
Written by Clayton Self
Batman Begins is a brand new and WAY cooler take on the Dark Knight franchise than anything we’ve seen before. Most importantly, this is NOT a prequel to any of the previous four Batman films. This is a fresh start for the franchise, and it gets done the way it should have been done in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, Burton made two very dark and original films, but let’s face it; Batman Returns sent children bawling out of the theatre, and left parents with a sour taste in their mouth. That mo...ie is the reason Batman Forever and Batman & Robin were so, how do I say this without being mean? Campy. Tragically campy. Needless to say, those films drove the nail through the coffin for that particular story line. But thanks to Christopher Nolan (Memento/Insomnia) we have a new Batman film that puts the dark knight on the silver screen in a very dominating way.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 10th, 2005
Synopsis
Frustrated by vicissitudes of Depression-era life, Dorothy wishes she were somewhere else. She gets her wish in ways she couldn’t have imagined, as a tornado drops her into the magical world of Oz. Accompanied by the brain-free Scarecrows, heartless Tin Man and cowardly Lion, she sets out on a quest to return home. In order to be granted that wish by the all-powerful Wizard, she must first defeat the Wicked Witch of the West.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 30th, 2005
The Girl in the Café is an interesting idea for a movie. It’s a blend of romantic comedy with a political agenda. The film doesn’t really work, but it’s nice to see something different. The romantic pair is played by Bill Nighy and Kelly MacDonald. Both are fine actors, and they have an awkward, engaging chemistry. Nighy plays a lonely civil servant and MacDonald plays a damn sexy woman. They “meet cute” in, you guessed it, a café, and they end up going to the G8 summit in Iceland (go figure). The scri...t is written by Richard Curtis (of Love Actually). Curtis seems to have a flair for the unconventional in his scripts. He doesn’t quite pull off the last act, but (for most of the ride) The Girl in the Café is worth a look.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 23rd, 2005
Val Lewton produced 9 horror films for RKO back in the 1940’s. His films did not rely on terrible monsters or horrific images. Lewton was a master at atmosphere. Unfortunately these films have mostly been forgotten over the years, The Cat People being perhaps the most recognizable title in the collection. Sadly, this might be more for the lackluster remake in the 1980’s. Truth be told, these films are not really horror films in the usual sense of the genre. In most cases the evil is the product of an all too human hand rather than anything supernatural or fantastic. Not surprisingly Boris Karloff stars in the three best of the films including The Body Snatcher, one of the best horror films ever made. Please don’t confuse the title with the Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Lewton’s films were all about mood and ambience. Violence more often than not occurs off-screen and portrayed as shadows, allowing the audience to imagine frights far more fantastic than could be placed before our eyes. Lewton’s productions were budget affairs but had comparable quality to the higher cost features that the big studios, most notably Universal, were creating at the time. This collection brings together all 9 films on 5 DVD’s…
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 20th, 2005
Synopsis
A group of young folk on their way to the “biggest college football game of the year” (you would do an overnight trip for THAT?) take an unfortunate detour. In groups of two, they are lured into a town run by two madmen, where the only other inhabitants are the was-coated effigies of their victims. What follows is the expected gory slaughter, and some of the deaths are gruesomely imaginative. There is, however, no terror. What does it say when practically the most likeable character in a fil... is played by Paris Hilton? It says that you can’t wait for these people to die. Even the more amiable heroine behaves in ways that are colossally stupid even by slasher movie standards. And the twist at the end is so trivial and meaningless, so utterly irrelevant to the plot, that it is the narrative equivalent of bicycles for fish.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 24th, 2005
All good things must come to an end, and so it is with Kung Fu. It is always better for a show to go out at the top of its game than to overstay its welcome, fizzle, and fade away. Season One of this show was excellent in its storytelling, as the characters and themes were firmly established. Season Two was mostly about maintaining the themes that were set forth in the first year. Season Three, however, is where the whole thing comes together. Without giving too much away, it is safe to say that this season en...s with Caine completing his quest in the west, and finally locating his ever-elusive brother; a brother who's intentions for his brother are a surprise to everyone.
I have said it about previous seasons, and I will say it again here; this is an excellent show that may have come along ahead of its time. Why this series is not more widely regarded as one of the better hour long dramas to ever air on network television, I will never understand. Carradine's supurb acting, compelling storylines and an intriguing mix of western and eastern cultures make this a must-watch show.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 24th, 2005
Synopsis
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) is the landmark, because of its star, and because of its subject matter. This intense, rich portrayal of juvenile delinquency triggered a flood of largely exploitive imitators, but it remains a powerful film, not least for the sympathy with which it treats its characters, and for its understanding. It shows why the Dean, Natalie Wood and company behave the way they do, and does not demonize. This was Dean’s second film, but the first to be released, and hi... performance here remains his most iconic role.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 24th, 2005
It sometimes becomes quite challenging to write a review of a television show release in the mid-seasons. The opening season of the show has plenty to talk about, and the final season wraps things up, but what about season six, say, of an eleven season show? What is there to say then? “Well, this season involves the same characters doing the same stuff they have been doing for years.”
Lucky for me, this is a mid-season set that has something to talk about. Something big. Something the whole nation was talking...about in the 80's. Who shot J.R.? Yep, this is the season. J.R. Ewing had established himself as a classic villain by the time this season started, and as the episodes rolled on, J.R. was successful in double-crossing nearly every character on the show, no matter how minor. At the time, characters in these kinds of shows didn't get shot, so imagine the shock when viewers sat down for the season finale of one of the top shows in primetime, and out of nowhere, “bang!” Viewers were left in shock for the entire off-season, wondering who was left holding the smoking gun as the credits rolled. This is probably the biggest cliffhanger in the history of television. Relive the fun with Dallas – The Complete Third Season.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 19th, 2005
I'll bet the script to this film read like a dream. The Exorcist meets Hellboy meets The Mummy. Surely this is the ideal vehicle for Keanu Reeves following his three picture run on The Matrix. Sound too good to be true? Unfortunately, it is. Now, there is a lot that is admirable in this film. For example, the acting, which is is far above the tired bar set by most modern action/sci-fi flicks. Furthermore, the special effects in Constantineare simply fantastic. In fact, I would go so...far as to say that they are some of the most amazing special effects I have ever seen. These are effects so amazing that they actually help to convey the story on their own. It is one thing to hear people describe hell, it is quite another to experience it firsthand through a special effect.
It is a shame that for all of the hard work and thought that went into this film, the end result is so disappointing. The film starts off with such promise. Why must it go downhill? The simple answer is that brilliant visuals can't cover a script that has been dumbed down to appeal to the lowest common denominator in the summer blockbuster movie going pantheon. This could easily have been one of the best comic book films of all time. I am just so disappointed by the potential that was squandered in this production.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 3rd, 2005
Synopsis
There are two Lawrence Tierney vehicles here, and the first is the one that made his name, the 1945 Dillinger. Told in flashback for no visible reason, this chronicles Dillinger’s rise from naive and incompetent thief to ruthless, brutal gang leader, and his ultimate fall. There are some startlingly brutal scenes here, for the time, and if Tierney isn’t quite as scary as James Cagney in White Heat, he’s still plenty menacing.
