Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 21st, 2006
Jack Webb built an empire out of the police drama. Dragnet laid the foundation that 50 years of cop shows would stand upon. In 1972 Webb turned his attention to the relatively recent phenomenon of the paramedic. Based on a California law, the Wedsworth-Townsend Act, which created one of the first paramedic programs, Emergency brought the exploits of these young, daring rescue workers to our living rooms every week.
Roy DeSoto (Tighe) and John Gage (Mantooth) were pioneers in the paramedic field. They would be stationed out of L.A.’s real station 51. With each new episode we were treated to a standard formula that would include some kind of daring rescue, usually high above the ground. The episode would always feature a few hospital scenes were Dr. Brackett (Fuller) would deal with Rampart Hospital’s emergency room as well as guide the paramedics via radio in the field. Off the wall cases were common as well as humorous aspects of the firefighters’ lives at station 51.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
The yesteryears of Disney were full of classic movies from Aladdin to 101 Dalmations. Each of those films holds a special place in my heart due to its warmth and very colorful, cute story. Having never seen Lady and the Tramp before picking up this early copy, I didn’t know what to expect of the film. Many declare it to be one of Disney’s best, which is certainly a remark that is quite distinguished. Would Lady and the Tramp capture my emotions and heart like so many old, classic Disney fi...ms did years ago? Read on to find out.
The basic story to Lady and the Tramp is as follows. A man named Jim Dear gives his wife Darling a mysterious box for Christmas. Inside that box is the ever so cute little Cocker Spaniel puppy, which Darling decides to name Lady. Lady spends most of her period growing up with two neighborhood dogs, Trusty and Jock. One day a dog named Tramp walks over the railroad tracks. When Darling has a child, we are introduced to two super ugly and vicious cats, Si and Am, courtesy of Aunt Sarah. Due to these evil cats and the new baby, Lady winds up in the doghouse. What happens next is cinematic history. The Spaghetti scene and the start of a romance between Lady and Tramp.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
Sex and the City Essentials: Breakups is a little introduction type collection into the famed HBO series. Here we get three episodes about the various Breakups in the show. The first episode is entitled Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and is about Carrie deciding to chose her honesty first. This causes her to lose Aidan in the process. The second episode is entitled I Love a Charade and is about Samantha’s wrath for Richard. The final episode is entitled The Post-It Always Sticks Twice and is about ...he post- Post-it note night out.
Since Sex and the City is aired regularly on TBS, I can’t possibly imagine what HBO is trying to do with these sets. Anyone who is possibly interested in the show, even the smallest amount, can simple turn on their television and watch an episode to see if this comedy is in their ballpark. I could understand if the Essentials discs came with a few rare features about the three episodes on the disc to warrant spending the money. HBO defends this release, according to their website, with Now, old and new Sex and the City fans can relive some of the sexiest, most romantic, emotional and memorable episodes from the series with the Sex and the City Essentials. I think a true fan of the series would know where their favorite episodes are season-wise at this point.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
Sex and the City: The Essentials – Mr. Big is a release, which serves no purpose that can’t otherwise be obtained from watching reruns on TBS. True, the series is edited for television, but a show should not have to resort solely to objectionable content to build a relationship with its audience. That’s not to say it can’t, but if you’re interested in trying out Sex and the City, I doubt it’s to see how many breasts, penises, and profane words you can see and hear, respectively, in a half-hour of televi...ion. (You’ll be disappointed because, while for mature audiences, there are far worse shows out there.) No, you’re probably going to watch Sex and the City because you like character-driven comedy that focuses less on jokes and more on social realities. Or, maybe you like HBO’s programming, and you feel this show must be good if they picked it up.
Whatever the reason, chances are, you’re better off buying the entire seasons on DVD, or first trying out the show on TBS before making the decision of building a season-by-season collection. With The Essentials, you get a sparse three episodes with nary a special feature in sight. It’s a pointless waste of time no matter what angle you’re coming from. On the Mr. Big Essentials disc, you will get three episodes detailing different highs and lows in Carrie’s relationship with the title character. Perhaps it will leave you wanting more. If so, then the disc has done its job, but the real challenge which lay ahead for it is getting picked up in the first place. A fan won’t want it, and a curious spectator can find much better ways of sampling the menu.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 19th, 2006
This disc is one of those classic cartoon sets that is marketed directly to children alone. Serious animation collectors will no doubt go for Disney's fantastic Walt Disney Treasures releases instead of a one off release such as this one. This disc is one of those products that is set up as a quick point of purchase sale for parents that need something to throw in the DVD player while in the mini-van, or to keep the kids entertained while the parents are busy doing laundry or making dinner.
The simple ...act is, there are only seven Donald Duck shorts on this disc, and that's about it. The disc's complete running time is less than an hour, and while that may be a good length for kids to watch the disc in its entirety, whoever purchases this disc is most definitely not getting their money's worth. In my opinion, the smart move would be to pick up Walt Disney Treasures - The Chronological Donald instead. Just because a product has 30 or 40 animated shorts on it, that doesn't mean the kids (or adults) have to watch them all at once.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 17th, 2006
Synopsis
Untroubled by charisma, Jimmy Kimmel hosts this concertedly nasty roast of Pamela Anderson. The roasters include Tommy Lee, Adam Carolla, Sarah Silverman, Andy Dick, Bea Arthur, and Courtney Love. They all mangle each other as well as the guest of honour. So many jokes involve Anderson’s breasts and Lee’s penis that the they get rather boring (scratch that: EXTREMELY boring), but there are a few very funny bits. The highlight is Bea Arthur’s reading of Anderson’s novel Star. Arthur’s ...elivery, her constant disbelieving looks directed at the “author,” and the riotously awful prose itself make sitting through the more predictable moments worthwhile. Notable too is the spectacularly off-kilter Love. That woman needs help.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 10th, 2006
Synopsis
These are the adventures of the Legacy (whose front is the Luna Foundation), a secret society dedicated to protecting humanity from the forces of darkness. And wouldn’t you know it, those pesky forces are present around every corner in the form of somewhat ramshackle special effects. The leader of the group lost his father to demons as a child, and now carries on the good fight. Every episode sees the group up against another nasty ghost or other supernatural force. Points must be given for ...heer creativity, even if the explanations as to what the nasty creatures are all about stretch credulity, even by the often flexible terms of the genre. If you can insert your tongue firmly into your cheek (necessary to put up with much of the dour and portentous dialogue), you might find some cornball entertainment here. And no, the series has nothing to do with the movies, other than the title.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 9th, 2006
Synopsis
FBI trainee and psychic Caterina Scorsone is suddenly graduated because her abilities are needed on a missing person case, and so begins her partnership with borderline rogue FBI agent Vivica A. Fox. And there’s the premise set up: each episode, someone else is missing, and CSI meets the X-Files, but with none of the panache of either show. The dialogue is pseudo-hard boiled, and Fox is no more an federal agent than I am the Pope (I highly doubt those stiletto-heeled, snakeskin boots are eit...er regulation or practical). The show is competently put together, but flat and uninspiring, the investigation feeling like tired motions being gone through. If the premise grabs you, you might find a modicum of entertainment here, but that’s about it.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 8th, 2006
One of the unfortunate responses to the emergence of a successful movie is the appearance of copycat films. When Gladiator won the Academy Award for Best Picture, all these sword and sandal flicks went into production. Now we have epics such as Troy, Kingdom of Heaven and Alexander to show for it. Sometimes, the backlash is even worse when the hit film is a bit of a surprise hit. Such was the case with The Fast and the Furious. Now, I really enjoyed Furious, but I knew on the...front end of my viewing experience that I was not in for a serious filmgoing experience. The point of the movie was hot cars, over-the-top action and plenty cool shots of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker doing stuff in slow motion. My expectations were met, it was a fun popcorn flick, and I went home happy. When The Fast and the Furious 2 came along, it was a much worse film, but just as the trailer suggested, the film was both faster and furious-er.
Then even more copycat flicks began popping up. I was hoping that this trend had hit rock bottom with the release of Torque, but Steve Boyum (whose only notable films up until this point were Meet the Deedles and Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice) has somehow managed to find a level somewhere below the lowest common denominator with Supercross. Anyone with half a brain could churn out this plot in moments. A reckless kid and his “play it safe” brother work hard, but only one of them makes it to the big time in supercross racing. Once he gets there, he looses sight of what is really important, and he has to find his way back to his brother, and what they loved about the sport in the first place, thus making their deceased father happy... wherever he is.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 8th, 2006
Synopsis
Though they span a mere five years of his career, these are some of Cary Grant’s best films. They are also among the directors’ best films. Viewers wanting to see comedy from Hollywood’s Gold Age at its best and most sophisticated will be amply rewarded by spending a few evenings with this collection.
