Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 25th, 2004
The 1970s was a fertile time for feminist movements. This film was amazingly cited by both sides of the argument, never seeming to please either. Feminists considered the film to be a slap in the face of the “modern woman”. It was accused of undermining years of progress to the age-old stereotypes of a woman’s place. At the same time anti-feminists citied it as a mockery of what were considered wholesome American values. It’s strange that a film that was never intended to be part of these controversies couldn’t seem ...o please either side. The film quickly disappeared from the box office and was deemed an early failure. That was until frequent television showing gained a cult following that exists today. To many of us this is simply a quaint blend of science fiction and horror elements to produce a better than average low budget film.
What is extremely disappointing about this disc is it is actually just a re-release of the 2000 Anchor Bay edition. Not only are there no improvements, but the extras are exactly the same.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 18th, 2004
Apparently inspired by Three Godfathers, the over-sentimental John Ford western from 1948, the "godfathers" here are three homeless Tokyo-ites -- Gin, a former professional bicycle racer; Hana, a transvestite; and Miyuki, a young runaway girl -- living together in Shinjuku, Tokyo. On Christmas Eve, they find a baby, and embark on a journey that takes them all across the city in order to reunite the baby with its parents, while at the same time bringing their own lives closer to their ultimate destinies. Fun, fast-pac...d, and cleverly laced with well-timed humor, the wacky events that ensue have a deep element of humanity that craftily puts into context their entire journey.
From his jump-cuts from extreme facial gestures, to the hilarious "Homo of Tokyo" run cycles of the strong-willed comic-relief Hana, director Satoshi Kon certainly knows how to entertain an audience. But the depth of the characters and the poignancy of the ultimate storyline are what separate Godfathers from the usual Anime fare. A wonderful achievement.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 18th, 2004
Wizards is a Ralph Bakshi production that is a lot more family friendly than some of his other better known works aka Fritz the Cat and the less said about his adaptation of The Lord of The Rings, the better. Wizards does borrow a lot from the Tolkein classic however, in it’s themes of industrialism versus nature as played out in the classic good versus evil story.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where an ancient prophet foretells the coming of twins who will battle and the outcome of the con...lict will determine the fate of the new Earth. As predicted, twin sons are born to the Queen of the Fairies. One son is of human appearance and if full of good (Avatar), where his twin is a mutant and quite evil (Blackwolf). Blackwolf’s misdeeds have him banished from the Fairydom where he swears to get his revenge as he departs. He plans on accomplishing his task by reviving the war machines of old. Avatar is a pacifist and wants nothing to do with war but as his evil brother’s machinations draw Avatar directly into the conflict via assassination attempts, he begins to realize that he cannot escape his destiny.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 15th, 2004
With the release of Spider-Man 2 in late June, it was no surprise that Sony decided to give us an upgrade of the first film. Spider-Man was probably the best superhero film to come along since the original Superman in the late 70’s. Perhaps not as recognizable as Batman or Superman, Spidey is still quite an American icon to the millions of us who grew up during the golden age of comics.
This film is a faithful adaptation. The only real complaint I’ve heard is the tweaking of the origin story. In the comics...it was a radioactive spider, not a genetically altered one, that sank its teeth into Peter Parker. The casting is exceptional with the possible exception of Kirsten Dunst. I can’t put my finger on it, but she is the weak link of the entire picture. Law and Order’s Simmonds is a dead ringer for J.J. Jamison.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 14th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 14th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 14th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 11th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 11th, 2004
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 10th, 2004
Joe Queenan is one of my favorite writers. He is the author of wonderfully amusing essays and books dealing with the subject of film. In his book Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler, he is bold enough to take on the challenge of watching every Merchant Ivory film, back-to-back. At one point late in the narrative, he has this to say:
As I sat there in my reclining chair with my kids lighting matches to my feet, I realized that God had created Merchant and Ivory for only one reason: because otherwise ...he concept of death was too terrifying.
