Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 4th, 2001
Intro
1993 isn’t that long ago, but watching this film makes that year seem much further back than it is, given the subsequent career paths of some of the cast.
Synopsis
Johnny Depp is Gilbert, our hero and narrator. He lives in the US heartland small town of Endora, with a family that includes his mentally impaired brother Leonardo DiCaprio (in a performance that reminds us that yes, he really is a good actor) and his enormous mother (Darlene Cates), who has not been out of the house ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on November 30th, 2001
Gary Sinise (who also produced and directed) is George, the smart one. John Malkovich (in a role light years from his usual creepy venom) is Lennie, child-like but enormously strong. The two best friends wander Depression-era California, looking for work. They find what seems likea long-term gig at the Tyler Ranch, but trouble rears its head in the form of the unhappy Sherilyn Fenn, trapped in an abusive marriage. It isn’t long before everything goes to hell.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2001
Intro
Once a franchise is launched, it seems, it is by definition unstoppable, even when, as is the case for this series of films involving a large St. Bernard, the franchise has moved into the direct-to-video realm.
Synopsis
Beethoven, with his slobbery, chaotic ways, is making life impossible for the Newton family. He is thus packed off to obedience school. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Michelangelo, the impeccably behaved St. Bernard owned by the impossibly rich Sedgwicks. The Sed...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 19th, 2001
Intro
From seemingly out of nowhere comes this period piece, directed by Bruce (Driving Miss Daisy) Beresford.
Synopsis
This biopic tells the story of Alma Mahler, a fiercely independent woman in turn-of-the-century Austria. She is attracted by art and artists, and is successively wife of composer Gustav Mahler, lover (then wife) of architect Walter Gropius, lover of painter Oksar Kokoschka, and lover of novelist Franz Werfel. Alma’s love life is not a happy one, as each man seems dest...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 1st, 2001
Hoooo boy! I bet you had forgotten what movies were like in 1979, right? Let me sum it up for you then: slow moving, and brown. The contrast in cinematic styles alone is shocking – this movie is full of long, long, long 20 second shots accompanied by ear-straining orchestrals; contrast this to the frenetic pace of today’s movies where camera angles change every three seconds and you’ll see how film styles have evolved in the 20 years since this movie was made to match waning attention spans. The highlight of this fil...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 22nd, 2001
Intro
We’re all pretty familiar with Demi Moore shorn of hair in GI Jane. But do you remember her with a blonde wig? No? Time to refresh your memory.
Synopsis
Moore is Marina, a fay North Carolina clairvoyant who has been waiting by the sea for her True Love. When, according to the signs, he shows up (or so she thinks) he does so in the round person of Leo Lemke (George Dzundza). Marina is a little thrown, but decides that fate is fate, and promptly marries him and moves to Greenwich V...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 13th, 2001
Intro
Here we have perhaps the most ambitious of all the biblical epics. John Huston’s film isn’t content with dealing with just one story from the Bible. Oh no. This is the first 22 chapters of Genesis. Needless to say, the scope is BIG.
Synopsis
Do you know your Book of Genesis? Then you know the plot. God creates the world, Adam and Eve screw up, Noah collects the animals, the tower of Babel is overthrown, and so on right up to Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. Huston gathered a big cas...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 12th, 2001
Intro
This is something of a surprise: a rather nice presentation of a film almost universally characterized as misbegotten.
Synopsis
An non-horror remake of what many consider the greatest horror film ever made, James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein (1935), this film sees Charles (Charles?!) Frankenstein (Sting) make a female creature, Eva (Jennifer Beals). Both Frankenstein and his male creature Viktor (Clancy Brown) fall in love with Eva. Both creatures struggle to establish their ow...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 12th, 2001
Intro
In the wake of the successful remake of The Fly came this retread of the 1958 B-picture classic.
Synopsis
A meteor crashes to the ground just outside the town of Arborville. An old man pokes at it, releasing a crimson blob that goes on the rampage, growing ever larger as it consumes every living thing in its path. Can the courageous high school kids, led by rebel biker Kevin Dillon, save the day?
Audio
In this day and age when mono films are being remixed into ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 4th, 2001
Posted in Disc Reviews by Carly Peters
Intro
Can you believe that this film is the pre-cursor to the highly popular television show? It is really entertaining to compare the film to the t.v. show, but unfortunately this film did not receive a great treatment on DVD. I am sure you can figure out the premise, but here is the film's synopsis courtesy of Fox...
Synopsis
"Blonde, bouncy Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is your typical high school cheerleader - her goal is to “marry Christian Slater and die” and nothing gets in her way ...
