1.33:1 Fullscreen

Magic Christian, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 19th, 2003

Synopsis

Eccentric millionaire Sellers adopts homeless Ringo Starr. They then travel about, playingnasty tricks on (primarily) the rich. Putting in appearances are John Cleese, Raquel Welch,Christopher Lee, Roman Polanski, Yul Brynner, Richard Attenborough, and so on. Extremelydisjointed, and only sporadically funny (at best).

Audio

Ugh. The case claims this DVD is in 2.0 surround. Bull. This is mono, and the sound qualityis pretty bad: it’s harsh, it’s dist…
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Shampoo

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 16th, 2003

Synopsis

Warren Beatty plays George, who is as gifted a hairdresser as he is a ladies’ man. He needsmoney to open his own salon, and is hoping Lester (Jack Warden) will invest. That Beatty issleeping not only with Jill (Goldie Hawn) but with Lester’s wife (Lee Grant), mistress (JulieChristie) and teenage daughter (Carrie Fisher) might just complicate the issue. Especially as moreand more characters find out about each other. Very well made, but also very much a productof its times -…
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Bad Influence

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 15th, 2003

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Film

Bad Influence, while not a bad film, is certainly not a good one either. Try as I might I could not bring myself to really care about any of the characters. The film tries to portray Rob Lowe’s influence on James Spader as, well … bad. It’s not like he was a great guy to begin with. There is an incredible irony within the film when Lowe gets Spader out of a marriage he is dreading by slipping the family a copy of the groom-to-be having sex with another woman. Lowe, of course, had a real life video tape episode and Spader dealt with the same thing in Sex, Lies, and Video Tape.
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Sirocco

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 14th, 2003

Synopsis

Eerily topical, Sirocco is set in 1925 Damascus. Syria is under French occupation. Syrianpartisans and the French army are at daggers drawn. Lee J. Cobb is the head of militaryintelligence, and he is trying to broker a truce. Humphrey Bogart is a smuggler and gun runner,interested only in making a buck. Enter Cobb’s wife (or girlfriend? the film isn’t clear on thismatter) to complicate things. If Casablanca were remade with Bogart as an amoral, cowardlyprofiteer, Ingrid Ber…
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Lavender Hill Mob, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 13th, 2003

Synopsis

Alec Guinness plays a man who appears to be a nobody, and that is just what he wants you tothink. He has worked to establish his reputation as the most unassuming, yet reliable, employeethe Bank of England has. His goal: to rob the bank of a vast amount of gold bullion. His plancomes together when he joins forces with Stanley Holloway, Sidney James and Alfie Bass. Theheist itself is, naturally, only the beginning of the zaniness.

Audio

As with the o…
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Man in the White Suit, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 13th, 2003

Synopsis

Alec Guinness quietly invents a fabric that is indestructible and never gets dirty. You’d thinkpeople would be happy. Not if they have anything to do with the fabric industry, they’re not. Bigindustry and big labour all get it in the neck in this hilarious film. The cast is top-notch(Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Ernest Thesiger, Michael Gough) and clearly having a great time.Not to be missed.

Audio

As with the other films in this series, the sound is t…
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Keys to Tulsa

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 8th, 2003

Synopsis

The black sheep of a wealthy Tulsa family comes back to a world that he had walked away from, only to return and get pulled in to a tale of blackmail with his ex-high school sweetheart’s drug dealer husband. While attempting to help the only witness to a murder he gets wrapped up in a world of revenge, deceit and redemption, starring James Spader, Eric Stultz and Deborah Kara-Unger. Cameron Diaz is billed as one of the stars of this movie and for the approximately 3 minutes she is in this mov…
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Kind Hearts and Coronets

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 8th, 2003

Synopsis

Dennis Price (icy in his perfectly correct heartlessness) is the son of a disowned member ofthe D’Ascoyne family. Determined to rectify this slight, and incidentally become Duke, Price setsout to cooly murder the eight D’Ascoynes who stand in his way. All eight, including LadyAgatha, are played by Alec Guinness. Price is utterly amoral, but he is such a charming narratorthat we root for him, and chuckle warmly over each demise. The script is supremely smart. Thisisn’t knock…
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Captain’s Paradise, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 8th, 2003

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Synopsis

Alec Guinness is a ferryboat captain who runs back and forth every other day betweenGibraltar and Morocco. He has a wife in each port: the domestic Celia Johnson and the fieryYvonne DeCarlo. This state of affairs cannot continue indefinitely, of course. A fun battle-of-the-sexes story, very much of its time (1953). While not quite up to the Ealing films, The Captain’sParadise does have some extremely funny moments courtesy Guinness and co-star CharlesGoldner.

A…
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All About Eve

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2003

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Synopsis

A corrosive satire of stardom in general, and the theatre world in particular, All About Evestars Bette Davis as an insecure theatre diva, and Anne Baxter as Eve, the young woman whobefriends Davis but is a the conniving, fawning sociopath who will stop at nothing for her ownstab at stardom. George Sanders (stealing every scene he’s in as a sublimely cynical critic) is onelof the only people who can see through Eve. Baxter overdoes the fawning, so it becomes difficultto bel…
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Woman in Red, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2003

Synopsis

Ordinary family man Gene Wilder is innocently parking his car at work one day when hesees Kelly Le Brock doing a Marilyn Monroe routine over a hot air grate. He is immediatelysmitten, and throws his life into chaos pursuing the woman of his dreams. The original Frenchfilm wasn’t anything to write home about in the first place, but it did star Jean Rochefort, whosesomber dignity just begs to be overthrown. Wilder, on the other hand, isn’t that dignified to beginwith.

Gladiator Days: Anatomy of a Prison Murder

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 5th, 2003

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Synopsis

Not for the squeamish, this documentary opens with prison surveillance camera footage ofTroy Krell and Eric Daniels stabbing Lonnie Blackmon to death. After that little bit of snuff TV,the hour-long program gets down to interviews with Krell and authorities about the culturethat produces these events. The topic is certainly worthy of examination, but the cheesy heavymetal score and tabloid-TV stylistic flourishes (black-and-white, slow motion, etc.) Could havebeen dispensed…
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How Green Was My Valley

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 3rd, 2003

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Synopsis

The setting is turn-of-the-century Wales, and a way of life is coming to an end as economiccrises hit. The film chronicles the saga of the Morgan family, headed by stern but lovingpatriarch Donald Crisp, and we get all this through the eyes of young Roddy McDowall. Analternative title might be “Cavalcade of Misery” and the answer to the film’s question might be“not very,” given the endless tragedies that afflict our loving family. The film hasn’t weatheredthe passing years …
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Gentleman’s Agreement

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 31st, 2002

Synopsis

Gregory Peck is a freelance writer recently arrived in New York. Hired to write a series onanti-Semitism, he hits on the idea of passing himself off as Jewish. The angle works only toowell, and he experiences prejudice first-hand, in ways that threaten to completely derail his life.The performances are universally excellent, and the actors are really put to the test when theyhave to mouth the painfully moralizing speeches at the end of the film. Until the disappointingconcl…
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Pig

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 28th, 2002

There isn’t really a plot, as such. In collaboration with director/photographer/scripter/editor Nico B, co-director/composer/writer Rozz Williams works out his serial killer fantasies through the images of a pig-faced man torturing another. The big influences here are equal parts Eraserhead-era David Lynch, the surrealist films of the late-20s-early-30s (especially Un ChienAndalou) and the contemporary piercing/SM scene. In fact, there are moments where this plays like an artsy infomercial for the latter.
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Quicksilver

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2002

Synopsis

Kevin Bacon is a high-rolling stock trader. When he screws up and loses it all, he becomes(naturally) a gifted bicycle messenger, and so rebuilds his confidence. Many bike tricks and GiorgioMoroder songs ensue. Dire.

Audio

The 2.0 mix gets off to a strong start, with a truly impressive street environment simulatedduring the opening credits. Thereafter, however, the FX are pretty minimal, and take a back seatto the endless, horrible 80’s soundtrack. …
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Doppelganger

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 18th, 2002

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Synopsis

Drew Barrymore returns to Los Angeles after stabbing her conniving mother to death in ahilariously operatic sequence. But is Barrymore really guilty? Was the crime committed by herdoppelganger? Is she crazy? Possessed? Or is something else afoot? George Newbern plays hernew roommate, a shy, aspiring screenwriter, and he gets tangled up in her mystery. A tangledmystery it is too, and the film gets so carried away that it doesn’t really tie up all the loose ends.The ending, t…
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Country Bears, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 17th, 2002

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Synopsis

Beary Barrington (voice of Haley Joel Osment) runs away from his (human) adoptive familyto seek out Country Bear Hall. When it turns out that the evil Christopher Walken hasdevelopment plans that include the Hall’s demolition, Beary is determined to re-unite theCountry Bears for a benefit concert that will save the Hall.

Audio

The big star of the soundtrack is the music — arena-style country rock that will either haveyou stomping your feet or slitt…
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Buying the Cow

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 12th, 2002

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Synopsis

This movie presents the question of “Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free”? David (Jerry O’Connell) is forced to face this question when his girlfriend of 5 years Sarah (Bridgette Wilson) leaves for New York for two months and leaves him with the ultimatum of marry me or move on. He is helped along with his decision by the usually colorful cast of comic side kicks played Ryan Reynolds and Bill Bellamy. This movie just never really seems to get going, with one notable exception…
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First $20 Million, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 12th, 2002

Synopsis

Adam Garcia plays an ad exec with a conscious, he wants he create something that will change the world. He recruits a rag tag group of geniuses and misfits to build the world’s first portable $99 computer. After losing their jobs and funding from the research facility where they work they set out on their own to finish what they started. Their creativity is rekindled by Andy Caspar’s (Garcia) neighbor (Rosario Dawson) and side tracked by the back stabbing genius at the research facility where …
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Good Girl, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 6th, 2002

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Synopsis

Welcome to the stagnant end of the gene pool. In this world, mortally stupid people live in asuburban hellscape, and shop at Retail Rodeo, the bastard love child of WalMart and ValueVillage. Desperate to escape from this world and her slob of a husband (John C. Reilly) is Justine(Aniston). She falls in love with Tom (Jake Gyllenhaal), a younger co-worker, and now Justine isabout to find out what hell really is. Incidentally, all of this is very funny.

Audio>

A carefully wrought 5.1 sound mix is on offer here. The quiet music is given a warm,atmospheric sound. “Atmospheric” is also the word for the sound effects. They swirl about theroom, and most noticeable is the wind, which not only creates a full environmental effect, butpunches up one of the central metaphors of the film. Very nice left-right separation.

Video

The film is presented in both 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and fullscreen formats, one oneach side of the disc. The colours are good, as are the blacks. The contrasts could be a little bitstronger. The image is sharp for the most part, though there is once grainy shot near the end ofthe film.

Special Features

Irritatingly, the extras are split over the two sides of the disc, though the bulk are on thewidescreen side (the only extra the fullscreen has to itself is the gag reel, which consists largelyin shots of actors laughing). There are two commentaries. The first is a feature-length one bywriter Mike White and director Miguel Arteta. These are a couple of very low-key guys, and theirdiscussions is sometimes more odd than informative. The other commentary is limited to selectedscenes, and is provided by Aniston, who is full of praise for everybody. There are also 9 deletedscenes (with optional commentary by Arteta). Finally, there’s an alternate ending montage. Themenu has a scored and animated main page and transitions.

Closing Thoughts

There’s a real trend of dark, melancholy comedies these days. If you liked Ghost World, thiswill be right up your alley.

Special Features List

Audio Commentary
Scene Specific Commentary by Jennifer Aniston
Gag Reel
Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
Alternate Ending Montage

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Complete Third Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 4th, 2002

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Synopsis

I’m not going to summarize an entire season for you. But this is the season where theBuffy/Angel arc reached its conclusion, since the spin-off series was about to begin.

Audio

The sound is limited to a 2.0 mix, but it is a solid mix. As ever with TV shows, the musicheavily dominates, but there is still some sound effect presence, and the result isn’t bad atall.

Video

The last collection was marred with some truly awful grai…
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SpongeBob Squarepants: Sea Stories

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 4th, 2002

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Synopsis

SpongeBob tries to make Gary the snail take a bath. SpongeBob tries out an extreme sport(“riding the hooks”). And so on. More good-natured goofiness, and I have to confess this guy isbeginning to grow on me.

Audio

The 2.0 sound is very crisp and clear, completely distortion-free. The surround effect,however, is minimal. Even the music barely registers.

Video

No disappointment with the picture, however. Many TV shows, for som…
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My Neighbor Totoro

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 28th, 2002

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Synopsis

Two young children move to a new house with their father. Their mother is in the hospital,but they are hopeful she is getting better. In the garden, they have access to a magical world ofspirit creatures. This is a gentle, warm work, with the same delight in the fantastic as is present inPrincess Mononoke and Spirited Away (though unlike those films, this one can be enjoyed evenby very young children). Sweet but never cloying, moving but never saccharine, funny, andfrequent…
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Spider’s Web

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 28th, 2002

Synopsis

Kari Wuhrer is an ambitious corporate lawyer constantly hitting the glass ceiling in a male-dominated world. Her affair with Stephen Baldwin leads to a $40-million theft, and doubt,deception and betrayal follow. Now, if Wuhrer really turned your crank in Eight Legged Freaks,then you might be interested in a film that has her naked as often as possible (and thus makingthe plot’s pseudo-feminism even more laughable). And, if you’re into trivia, one-time JamesBond George Lazen…
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