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Sleepover (1995)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 4th, 2005

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Synopsis

Teenage rites of passage during the summer vacation at the beach. The protagonist is a quiet, decent sort, but his close friend is a domineering alpha male who bullies everyone around him into doing whatever he wants. He is clearly pulling his companions toward serious trouble. The story builds to one night when the boys use each other’s homes as alibies: they are supposed to be having a sleepover, but in fact are out looking for girls. Things go wrong.

The storyline itself isn’t s…
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Pocahontas

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 21st, 2005

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Pocahontas is Disney’s animated version of the Pocahontas myth. This movie is not history, but a Disney-fied version of it. European settlers came to North America and disrupted the Native American way of life. John Smith (voiced by Mel Gibson) and his British plunderers attempt to rob the “New World” of its riches. Chief Powhatan, and his daughter Pocahontas (voiced by Irene Bedard), might have something to say about this. In the end, in typical Disney fashion, a moral emerges: both cultures have a lot…
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Crook, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 26th, 2005

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Synopsis

This is a film that delights in not being what it appears. The opening moments look like a period gangster film. Suddenly, the scene transforms into a musical. Then this turns out to be movie within the movie. And so it goes, as one scene after another turns out not to be what we thought it was. The plot has roguishly charming Jean-Louis Trintignant setting up a kidnapping scheme with two colleagues. I can’t say much more without giving away the whole plot and the strange circuit on which it…
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Attack on the Iron Coast

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 26th, 2005

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Synopsis

Lloyd Bridges is the Major in the Canadian forces who is seeking redemption for a failed raid. His audacious plan is to attack the German’s fortified docks in occupied France. His scheme is opposed by Brit Captain Andrew Keir, whose son died in the earlier raid, but Keir finds himself captaining the substandard ship as the raid begins.

This is pretty run-of-the-mill WWII action, the kind of film that is virtually indistinguishable from uncountable others, all fodder for three-a.m. …
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Quiet American, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 13th, 2005

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Synopsis

Michael Redgrave is a cynical British journalist posted in 1952 Saigon, happily far awayfrom his estranged wife. He views both sides of the French and Communist war with equalindifference, and likes the comfortable arrangement he has with his Vietnamese girlfriend(Giorgia Moll), a woman whose intelligence he hardly seems to respect. Everything goes tosmash for him when a polite young American (Audie Murphy) shows up. Redgrave finds hisidealism suspicious, if not actively da…
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Love Rites

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 23rd, 2005

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Hugo (Mathieu Carrière) sets out on an errand, but is sidetracked in the Paris metro whenhe chances upon the seductive Myriam (Marino Pierro). Their eyes meet, he follow her, theybeing to chat, and a dance of seduction ensues. They make their way through Paris to anapartment where they have sex, and then nothing turns out as Hugo expected.

That’s about it as far as plot is concerned. So what? you ask. You wouldn’t expect anythingmore from an avowedly erotic film. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the rest of the film is anorgy of naked flesh, however.
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Hype!

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2005

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Hype! is a documentary of the “Seattle scene” of the early 90’s. Grunge was king. I remember wearing flannel shirts and listening to the big three: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. But what about the other bands? Hype! also talks about the lesser-known bands, like the Supersuckers and The Gits. Hype! is an examination of what went on underneath the “hype” of the Seattle music scene. This isn’t some VH1 doc. And it’s not all about Kurt Cobain either. Hype! covers it all, and cre…
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Until September

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 19th, 2005

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Until September is soap opera/romance that lacks sizzle. Karen Allen, of Raiders of the Lost Arkfame plays Mo. Mo is a plucky American girl who falls in love with Parisian named Xavier (played by Thierry Lhermitte). Mo misses her plane and is stuck in Paris. She meets cute with Xavier and an affair begins. However, complications ensue: Xavier has a wife and family.

The Paris locations are nice, but the lead couple lacks any chemistry whatsoever. Karen Allen is cute as a button, but Th…
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Das Boot

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 10th, 2005

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Films like Crimson Tide, Hunt for Red October and U-571 have tried on their own ways to take their place as the definitive modern submarine movie, but Das Boot still stands as King, over 20 years after its release. I remember hearing about this film growing up, and as a lad of 10, wasn’t into foreign films, or war films, as I am now, which may not be saying much. In seeing it when the Director’s Cut first came out in 1997, many people snapped up the 5.1 soundtrack, and Director’s Commentar…
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Testament

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 2nd, 2005

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Fear of nuclear proliferation was a definite threat in the Reagan era 80’s. Movies like The Day After played into those fears. Another film that deals with the consequences of nuclear fallout is 1983’s Testament. Testament is a small, quiet film about the effects of nuclear fallout on a family and a community. The director, Lynne Littman, is a veteran of documentary films, and she brings a certain truth and realism to the story. There are no mushroom clouds or special effects, just human eff…
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Mary Poppins

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 12th, 2004

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Synopsis

If you don’t know what this movie is about, you grew up in a cave. If you’ve never seen it,ditto. This is the tale, it need hardly be said, of Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), the nanny whoarrives to take charge of two children whose imaginations have been repressed by theirexcessively proper father. In the care of Mary, and accompanied by chimney sweep Bert (DickVan Dyke), the children bounce from one magical mix of dance, live action and animation toanother.

A more…
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Betty Blue

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 3rd, 2004

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Synopsis

Jean-Hugues Anglade plays Zorg (yup, that’s his name), a handyman living in a beach-front house, scribbling away quietly in his spare time. Not so quiet is his tempestuous affair with Betty (Beatrice Dalle), whose passions overwhelm both of them. First she moves in on him with no warning. Then, when she discovers his writing, she decides that they must move to Paris so he can have a career as a writer. To make sure Zorg complies, she burns his house to the ground. Once in Paris, her plans fo…
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Kung Phooey!

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 23rd, 2004

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Synopsis

Many years ago, a mystical peach holding the secret of eternal life was stolen. Now, aftertraining since childhood at the Shur-Li Temple (get it?) under the tutelage of Master Card and thelike, a hero arises to recover the peach: Art Chew. He arrives in Vancouver (played by SanFrancisco, in one of the film’s cleverer conceits), and is joined on his quest by such friends asRoy Lee, who has seen a great many kung-fu movies, but is completely incompetenthimself.

This is an g…
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 3rd, 2004

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Synopsis

Sterling Hayden, as the demented General Jack D. Ripper, sends a squadron of bombers offto nuke the Soviet Union. The principle bomber pilot is the equally demented Slim Pickens.Captain Mandrake (Peter Sellers) desperately tries to stop the bombers. The President (PeterSellers again) summons his principle aids to the war room and the assembled characters(including George C. Scott, and Sellers again as the titular character) do all they can to avert adoomsday scenario.

Frivolous Lola

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 14th, 2004

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Synopsis

Lola (Anna Ammirati) delights in turning heads in her village, engaging in such antics as riding her bike with her skirt billowing up behind her. The men all think she’s great, while the women aren’t so fond of her (though the woman working on her wedding dress would clearly like to get to know her better, if you catch my drift). Her main problem is her fiance, who, much to her frustration, refuses to have sex before their marriage. Then there’s her stepfather, who seems more than appro…
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Real Olympics, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 13th, 2004

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In the shadow of the Olympics’ return to Athens, PBS has decided to take a look back at the original games. This mildly-interesting program that feels more like a documentary that might be screened in a High School classroom than one you might watch on television in your free time. Such is the difference between PBS and the History Channel, I suppose. It is a good documentary, but certainly not great.

That’s not to say that the disc is all dry, though. There is some interesting background into some aspects …
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Scooby-Doo 2 – Monsters Unleashed

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 13th, 2004

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Scooby-Doo 2 is pretty-much the same as the original film. Oh, sure, the plot differs slightly, but for the most part, this is the same film. If you liked the first one, you will like this one. However, if you hated the first one, like I did, then this is regrettably more of the same mindless fluff.

Recently, movie studios have caught on to the idea that if they make children’s movies with subtle in-jokes for adults, their profits will rise. This was the case with Finding Nemo, Shrek an…
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Home on the Range

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 9th, 2004

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Synopsis

The “Patch of Heaven” farm is about to be seized by the bank, unless $750.00 can be raised,and raised quickly. By lucky coincidence, that is precisely the reward being offered for thecapture of cattle rustler Alameda Slim. Three plucky cows (voiced by Roseanne Barr, Judi Denchand Jennifer Tilly) decide to capture Slim and win the reward, thus saving their home.

The opening moments, with a series of Tex Avery-style catastrophes befalling an unfortunaterabbit, are ver…
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Babylon 5 – The Complete Fifth Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 2nd, 2004

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The fifth season of Babylon 5 would prove to be the show’s last. Fans had clamored at the end of the third season for a fourth, and they succeeded. At the end of the fourth, the clamoring began again, and they earned the show yet another reprieve. The fifth try finally sounded the death knell on this show, however. It’s really all for the best, though, since the series had unquestionably been driving toward this conclusion for some time. To go on any longer would have been unfair to the integrity of the show i…
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Babylon 5 – The Movie Collection

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 1st, 2004

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This is one of the most interesting ideas that I have seen for a DVD boxed set in some time. Just as there were five seasons of Babylon 5, there were five made for TV movies created as well. Each was essentially a super-episode that was based on the series, but not necessarily a vital part of the story arc of the overall program. This DVD set includes all five of these bonus films.

Included in this collection is the feature-length pilot, as well as a prequel. The other three films have no added agend…
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Judgment at Nuremberg

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 13th, 2004

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Synopsis

Spencer Tracy arrives in Nuremberg to sit as chief justice at a war crimes tribunal. In thedock are three judges and a prosecutor, accused of crimes against humanity. Chief among theaccused judges is Burt Lancaster, whose record prior to the Nazi era was exemplary. Theprosecutor is Richard Widmark, driven to fight for justice no matter what the wider geo-politicalcontext might be. Defending the accused is Maximilian Schell (who won an Oscar), stopping atnothing to protect h…
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Monsieur Ibrahim

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 29th, 2004

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Synopsis

In Paris of the early 60s, a young Moise (Pierre Boulanger) is coming of age. He tends housefor his sullen father, loses his virginity with the help of the local prostitutes, and shoplifts the oddtin from the store of Mr. Ibrahim (Omar Sharif). The older man befriends the boy, and throughhis kindness and wisdom, becomes, effectively, the boy’s true father.

Sharif’s turn as Ibrahim is a performance of immense warmth, one that suffuses the entirefilm. Very welcome to…
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West Wing – The Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 1st, 2004

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In season 2, The West Wing was still superior to almost anything on television at the time. The problems began to surface, however. Season 2 concentrated far too much time on the whole MS deal. I missed the powerful insider political stories. Still, there is little question that the writing and production style of the show continued to shine. Up to this point only Hill Street Blues had more Emmy nominations in one season.

Audio

Dialogue is everything in this show. A Dolby Digital 2….
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For Queen and Country

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 28th, 2004

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Synopsis

Denzel Washington dons a reasonably credible English accent as Reuben James, who lefthis urban blight of a home to join the military. Six years after the Falklands, he returns home,and finds things in a greater shambles than before, with drugs, theft, and corrupt, racist policeeverywhere. Alienated on all sides, Reuben is pushed closer and closer to the edge. An explosionof violence is inevitable.

It must be said, however, that the violence feels as if its being hel…
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Lola – Running Down a Dream

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 20th, 2004

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Lola is a bit of a strange girl. She is both charming and odd. On the one hand, she is an independent fashion designer who has had marginal success selling her clothing to retail outlets. On the other hand, she is a sheltered little girl who has no self-esteem, and lives with a demanding and overpowering husband. Lola is a woman that has never grown up, and never spent any time in the real world whatsoever. She is a child.

All of that changes, however, over the course of one single day. When she instinctive…
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