Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 1st, 2007
The Lost Room was a Sci-Fi Channel 3 part mini-series. There are actually 6 separate segments on the DVD. We are quickly introduced to a special old style motel key. Yes, before we all got those slide cards. This key is apparently quite valuable, as it is the subject of an underground meet to purchase it. The deal looks like one of those Hollywood drug buys we’re used to seeing, and like those plays, this one goes horribly awry. Enter Detective Joe Miller (Krause), assigned to deal with the aftermath of this meet. ...eter Krause is best known for his wonderful portrayal of Nate Fisher in HBO’s quirky Six Feet Under. Here he gets to stretch his acting chops along with our collective imaginations. His investigation leads him into possession of the valuable key. He soon discovers the key has incredible power. Using it on any door can transport you to any other door you can visualize in your own head. Most importantly, the key defaults to a Spartan hotel room from 1961. When his daughter (Fanning) is lost in the room, Miller begins a quest to get her back. With each episode we discover there are nearly 100 objects originally collected from this room, each with extraordinary powers. A watch can hard-boil an egg. A bus ticket transports anyone who touches it to a small town in New Mexico, and a comb can stop time for a few seconds. Along with these objects, there are fanatical collectors. Some see the objects as sacred and form religious orders, while others wish to destroy them. Mostly, however, folks just want the power of possessing them. Miller must contend with these factions in his quest. We soon discover that using these objects does not come without a price, and those folks who do own objects are quite eccentric.
If you are willing to take the nearly 6 hour ride, you’ll be taken on an Alice’s journey through Wonderland. What is most amazing is the ease with which this show unfolds such a complicated mythology. I was drawn in almost instantly. Beyond the complex premise are the various factions and their myriad agendas. There are no clear cut good guys or bad guys here. The series operates in an almost constant shade of gray. Miller must make choices about who he can trust. The twists are as varied as the objects themselves. From the start we are guided with Twilight Zone precision into a world more out than “The Outer Limits”
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on April 28th, 2007
Synopsis
Video game movies tend to fall into two groups; those that are based on video games (The Tomb Raiders, the Resident Evils) and those that follow video games and usually speaks on how it affects a person, driving their addiction. Often the latter pick it as a device of social commentary. Some do it in humor (Grandma's Boy) but more often than not they manipulate it as something that will take over your brain and kill you. Enter in Gamebox 1.0. Gamebox 1.0 is the story of a video ...ame tester Charlie Nash (played by Nate Richert (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch))who is not coping in life very well since his girlfriend Kate (played by Danielle Fishel (the gorgeous Topanga from Boy Meets World))got accidentally shot by a bad cop. (played by Patrick Kilpatrick) This leads him to completely cover himself in the world of video games. So much that he forgets his friends and any mention of the world's events around him. One day he receives a mysterious package in the mail. It is a new game system. This game system invites Charlie into the highly realistic gaming world contained inside. In that world he can do anything and interact with anybody but once he starts playing he'll never stop. (wow, I sound just like a tagline).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 18th, 2007
Planet Earth – The Complete Series presents the original U.K. broadcast version with narration by David Attenborough, not the version airing on Discovery narrated by Sigourney Weaver.
Have you ever sat back and wondered about the sheer size and shape of our world, its diversity of habitats or the incredible variety of life we share it with? It’s hard to get your head around it all, especially when most of us are living out our existences in one tiny slice of the place, with the only the odd vacation ...roadening our horizons.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 13th, 2007
Synopsis
Isild Le Besco is a teenager completely bored with the scene at the slightly ratty campsite where she and her family are spending the summer. Enter Denis Lavant, a much older man weathered by life and prison. Though he knows better than to be the moth to her flame, he can’t help but circling closer and closer. A conflagration is inevitable.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 6th, 2007
When last we saw our courageous Atlantis crew, they were in dire straights indeed. The series had just completed its first season, and not without at times relying on the mother series, SG-1, for help along the way. Would the show now find its own legs in its critical sophomore year? Would the Sci-Fi Channel continue to support it or take out its legs unrepentantly as they had done with Farscape not many years ago? Oh, and then there was that pesky Wraith problem we were left with in the season 1 ending cliffhanger... The Wraith are about to destroy the city when a wormhole from Earth delivers an SGC unit to assist.
Martin Wood asserts in one of his interviews that Atlantis and SG-1 were beginning to look too much the same on the surface of things. So, one of the mission statements for the second year was to give Atlantis its own look and identity. Without a doubt, Atlantis became darker, but without losing its humor or charm. A hard thing to pull off, indeed.Season 2 brings changes for Atlantis. Some I like. Some not so much. I’m not sure I’m happy with more permanent and reliable contact being restored with Earth. One of the show’s strengths was its isolation. Thus, the temptation to lean too heavily on its parent show would be minimal. I know there was the danger of the Deep Space Nine Syndrome, but I’d be willing to risk it. First off, these characters are far more interesting than those DS9 had, and while they might have been cut off from Earth, there was indeed an entire new galaxy to explore. One of the best moves was to take a rather mediocre character like Ford and turn him into a wonderfully complex villain, of sorts. With a greater range to draw from, we find out that Rainbow Sun Francks was a far better actor than season one would indicate. If you haven’t seen his new persona, you should get these DVD’s just for that experience. Another brilliant move was to use Paul McGillion more as Dr. Beckett. Once a throwaway character, he has blossomed this season into one of the better members of the team. The character chemistry between Beckett and McKay (Hewlett) is priceless. The most significant change for season 2 is the addition of Ronon Dex, played by newcomer Jason Mamoa. For me the jury is still out on Ronon. I understand that he brings a hyped up action persona to the mix, but I might have liked to have seen Teyla provide more of that in the future. The portrayal is quite good, but I’m not sold on the mix yet. The character reminds me somewhat of Vin Diesel’s Riddick.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 2nd, 2007
A ferocious typhoon washes up a giant egg on Japan's coast. Unscrupulous entrepreneurs lay claim to it, planning to exploit it as a tourist attraction. The egg in fact belongs to Mothra, now nearing the end of her life cycle, and the twin fairies from Infant Island come to Japan in the hopes of having the egg returned. No such luck, but when Godzilla returns and begins another rampage, this time it is the inhabitants of Infant Island who are turned to for help in the hopes that Mothra will come to Japan's aid.
This was one of the Godzilla films that was least hacked about for its American release (the running times between the two versions here differ by less than 30 seconds), and of the first series of Godzilla films (running from the 1954 original to 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla, this is arguably the best after the first. Colourful and exciting, with lively monster battles that never undermine the dignity of the creatures, this is Toho at the top of its game.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 1st, 2007
I’ve always been fascinated by ocean life much more than space. Sure, planets and stars are cool, but growing up I was reading books about sharks, not supernovas. That interest in the wonders of the sea has never really faded, so you can imagine that I was pretty stoked to watch IMAX: Deep Sea.
Unfortunately, I missed this one in theatres when it was IMAX: Deep Sea 3D. The only thing three-dimensional about this DVD release is the sweet lenticular slipcover. If you stare at the cover while you turn it slowly, a shark appears to swim up to have you for lunch. Nice.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 14th, 2007
Based on a true story Conversations With God tells the story of Neale Donald Walsch, an average guy who loses his job, gets into an automobile accident and breaks his neck, and finally loses his family to a divorce. It wasn't long after this tragic chain of events, with his hospital bills rising and nobody wanting to hire a middle-aged man with health problems, that Walsch finally became homeless.
Hitting rock bottom with no prospects for improving his predicament, he begins to audibly question God. Wa...sch claims that God answered him... audibly. While this is a fact that is clearly open to some contention, it certainly makes for compelling storytelling.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2007
Penguins are "in" right now. They March and they dance with those adorably Happy Feet. So, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone decided there was money to be made by turning in a penguin farce. Unfortunately for us, that someone turned out to be Bob Saget. I admit to knowing very little about Saget outside of his family sitcom and home movies shows. This is a side of him I wish I'd never seen. This film is absolutely unfit for the kiddies. Now let me first say that I'm certainly not one of those folks that gets easily offended. I've been a South Park fan since the beginning and would never consider myself sensitive to crude humor. With that said, I must honestly say that Farce of the Penguins is the most disgusting piece of crap I've seen in some time. It would be tolerable if it were even a little bit funny. The only chuckles you'll get out of this is a handful of throw away lines. The rest is simply not at all humorous. Even Samuel L. Jackson can't save this mess with his narration. The story is simple: Carl (Saget) is a penguin who's looking for penguin love. Jimmy (Black), his best buddy, tries to convince him that the girl of his dreams is waiting for him at the end of their 70 mile trek to mate. The entire 80 minutes is spent with poor voice over during March of the Penguins style nature footage. Nothing really matches, and perhaps that's not really the point. The film drags along at an incredibly slow and awkward pace toward the breeding grounds where Carl meets Melissa (Applegate). The two hook up and a few rather raunchy complications allow this farce to continue even longer. By the time the end credits roll, pretty much every unfunny cliché has been set to penguin footage, and you've lost nearly an hour and a half of your life.
Video
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2007
To tell you the truth, I think Warner Brothers is really on to something with their recent series of direct-to-DVD sequels. The studio offers a familiar story in a quality package, often at a discounted price. Some of these direct-to-DVD films are actually pretty good, such as the studio's new Raw Feed line of horror features. Unfortunately, this title is not one of the good ones.
While The Dukes of Hazzard – The Beginning is supposed to tell the story of how the Duke boys first got together, much o... this film appears to take place in the present day. Buses are from the 70's, but cars have modern alarms. Wardrobe choices are either going for a throwback look, or really are supposed to be period. I never really figured it out, and maybe that is part of what annoyed me so much about this film; it's lack of focus and forethought. I understand that the point of this product is to put something low-budget out into the marketplace to make a quick buck, but at least a little effort could have gone into the plot and character development. This film feels more like yet another American Pie sequel than a serious attempt at another story in the Hazzard series. The plot is one that has been told over and over again. Boss Hog is going to foreclose on Uncle Jessie's farm, so the Duke Boys (with Daisy's help), raise the money to save the farm, and have a wild and crazy good time doing it, complete with random naked women for no good reason.
