Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 2nd, 2006
Harry Alan Towers, that prolific producer of cheap but handsome exploitation (and the man behind many Jess Franco films back in the day) backed this 1983 effort which attracted some interest (from somewhere, apparently) for featuring French game show hostess Sophie Favier showing off her prizes, as it were. She isn't the lead, though. That happens to be one Jennifer Inch (?!), who plays a young woman dressing as a young boy. She is adopted by a nobleman, who wonders why he's so excited around his young charge. The secret doesn't last long, however, and soon she's carousing with him and sundry partners, while filling him in on her upbringing (which involved much spanking). Once again, as with Black Venus, the film looks better than it has any right to, which helps compensate for the atrocious dubbing.Audio
Overall, this film's mono soundtrack sounds better than does that of its sister release. This isn't to say that there isn't any dialogue distortion, because there is, but it is certainly held to manageable levels. The music is clear. For what it is, and for its age, this track could sound a lot worse. The mix is a bit odd, though. Notice how, in one of the early scenes, a buzzing fly threatens to drown out the dialogue.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 1st, 2006
Another long running series finally comes to an end … almost. The 7th and Final Season of MacGyver does not include the tele-films that really closed out the series. Unfortunately this is an abbreviated season with about half as many episodes. This is also another one of those running out of gas years that many quality shows end up doing before the series is mercifully put to rest. One never tires of seeing Richard Dean Anderson come up with his home brewed innovations, but by now it is clear that Anderson has tire... of bringing them to us. The show finally jumps the shark when Mac is sent to the Court of King Arthur an episode more appropriate to Anderson’s subsequent role in SG-1. Fan favorite villain, Murdock, returns again to taunt MacGyver in one of the season’s few shining moments.
Video
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 1st, 2006
Well! The case informs us that "Former Miss Bahamas, Josephine Jacqueline Jones spraked an international firestorm with her debut starring role as Venus." I guess I must have slept through that firestorm. At any rate, this tale, "based on the scandalous story by Honor' de Balzac" (but then, Tower of the Screaming Virgins is "based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas"), is narrated in flashback by an elderly gentlemen who frequents a brothel, and sees the title character there. The film tells of her journeys through decadent 19th-Century society.This is a Harry Alan Towers production, so one expects it to be a low-budget but still handsome-enough (though sleazy) period piece. And that's what we have. The costumes and sets are nice, well above the usual softcore romp. The acting, though, is also what you'd expect, with the lines declaimed from memory rather than actually delivered. And the score is a Hooked On Classics effort that at first adds tone, but then comes off as pretty cheap itself.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 30th, 2006
I have to be honest. An HBO series about a fake reality series starring Lisa Kudrow hot-off-the-heels of Friends did not appeal to me as a worthy expenditure of time. And it does take a bit for the show to get started. However, as with other HBO comedies that deal in quirkiness and irritability (see Curb Your Enthusiasm), The Comeback – The Complete Only Season manages to press just the right amount of buttons to keep you watching. Now on DVD, and featuring all thirteen episodes, this show’s ...umor succeeds in its ability to create mock reality, which plays scarily like the real thing.
The strength of the show is on its realization that the best thing it has going for it is the negative relationship fun-loving Valerie (Kudrow) has with a hideous slug writer, who routinely goes out of his way to humiliate her. The dislike shown for Valerie fuels the show, and Kudrow’s ability to play off each new sign of disrespect with smiling cheer accentuates every positive this on-screen dynamic has to offer. It’s where the show truly creates its magic moments. Everything else comes off as filler for the main event.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 25th, 2006
Written By Jeff Mardo
I never got into La Femme Nikita, but I can certainly appreciate it. This was a breakthrough series that defined the modern spy and con genres for both television and film. The show was just a bit too 80's for me. It sometimes took itself too seriously, like a rerun of Airwolf. When you really stop and think about what is going on in some of these episodes, the whole thing is just a bit silly.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 22nd, 2006
Synopsis
As if the urge to capitalize on the spirits and success of the Pokemon children’s franchise weren’t enough, someone decided it would be best to create an American version loosely based on the addictive game, or hobby, or whatever the hell it is that makes Pokemon so popular, and at least as of this writing, heading into it’s fourth season of episodes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 17th, 2006
Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties is a lot better than I thought it would be. Kids would love it, and it’s not too obnoxious for adults.
It’s a decent story for kids. Just before he’s planning to propose to her, Jon Arbuckle’s girlfriend, Liz, announces that she’s been scheduled at the last minute to speak at a conference in London, and she must leave right away. Jon decides to follow her there to pop the question. Garfield wants to interfere, so he and Odie smuggle themselves in Jon’s luggage.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 11th, 2006
The USA network took over the Forever Knight series for its third year. In a way, you could say they saved the show from cancellation, but they also killed it. In keeping with the nework’s M.O. of the time, it was believed the series wasn’t accessible enough. The obvious grab for the younger audience appeared in the likes of the Andy Garcia clone Ben Bass as the Vachon. Lovable partner Schanke was killed off along with the previous season’s captain. Nick was given a female partner in the likes of sci-fi veteran Li...a Ryder as spoiled daddy’s girl Vetter. La Croix and Janette took much smaller roles, and the whole thing smelled more like a soap opera. Fortunately the new network didn’t play with the traditional double story aspect that made the show unique. The atmosphere pretty much remained intact. Now Nick’s partner is aware of vampires, but not that Nick is one of them, which is far more unbelievable. The sexy element was ratcheted up a bit to try to increase the ratings. All of these elements failed to bring in new viewers, and Nick Knight was finally laid to rest with most of the cast in May of 1995.
Video
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 11th, 2006
Synopsis
About to be married for what he hopes will be the final time, Caveh Zahedi turns to us and reveals his long battle with sex addiction. His story is a difficult one for him to tell, not only for the (very, very funny) personal humiliation it entails, but because he keeps interrupting himself and jumping from one moment in his life to another, but also because he gets tangled up with explaining how the recreations were done in the movie we are now watching. Thus, having just said that he could...’t afford to shoot any scenes in Paris, suddenly, Zahedi sheepishly addresses us from Paris.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 7th, 2006
If Jackass was on the Travel Channel, the result would be Wildboyz. I think this show can best be described as “perversely fascinating”. On the one hand, any sane person would never sit in a hot tub full of alligators, or step into the ring with a champion Thai boxer. On the other hand, it really is fascinating to see these morons visit the wilds of Africa, see rat-infested temples in India or face off against the Russian hockey team. While most travel programs would discuss the history of the locations...they visit, these guys truly experience the places for themselves, no matter the risk to personal safety. For instance, while many know of the ancient ritual of bathing in the Ganges river, only these fools are crazy enough to dive into the disease and sewage-filled water for a bath today.
Finally, a word of clarification; “uncensored” does not really mean uncensored. The language in these episodes is uncensored, but nudity is not. Believe me, it's all for the best. While the thought of visiting a nudist camp or seeing a tribe of cannibals may sound like fun in theory, believe me, once you see the boys visit a nudist camp in Louisiana, you will be thankful that the blurry boxes have been left in.
