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Boy Meets World – The Complete First Season

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

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Synopsis

Our protagonist is Cory (Ben Savage), a Grade Six student, and we see the world through hisfrequently puzzled eyes as he moves on the cusp between childhood and adolescence. This is asitcom, and it is by no means any kind of radical new groundbreaker in the field. For one thing,smart-aleck kids a dime a gross in this genre, and there isn’t the surreal comedy that would comein the later Malcolm in the Middle. Still, the writing is several notches above most othershows…
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Chris Rock – Never Scared

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 28th, 2004

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Chris Rock is quite possibly the most important comic of all time. There are quite a few entertainers that have shown up in the public spotlight over the past few years that have blurred the lines between comic, social satirist and political lecturer. Bill Maher and Dennis Miller come to mind. However, Chris Rock is a special comedian, due to his masterful knowledge of how to manipulate an audience. Anybody can make wise cracks about racial differences, but it takes a special person to be able to change the minds of …
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Bug

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

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Synopsis

An earthquake opens up a crevasse in outside a desert town in California. Emerging fromthe earth is a species of large cockroach that cause fires. Entomologist Bradford Dilman is at firstfascinated by the bugs, but when his wife is burned to death, he becomes obsessed with…well, something (exactly what his motivations are at this turning point in the plot are hard tofathom, and are the film’s major weakness). The firebugs are dying, and Dilman breeds themwith the common c…
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V – The Complete Series

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 28th, 2004

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V: The Series was a great idea that couldn’t seem to hit its stride. It was plagued by budget restrictions and astronomical expectations. The result was the inevitable failure of the show. It just wasn’t possible to reproduce the f/x and epic tales of the two mini-series events with about a fifth of the budget. Judged on its own, the series wasn’t all that bad. A solid cast anchored by Marc Singer, Faye Grant, and Robert Englund picked up the slack left by the poor budget. The absence of Kenneth Johnson was also keen…
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Alligator People, The

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

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Synopsis

Beverly Garland (who was, with Allison Hayes, one of the queens of 50s SF) is on ahoneymoon train ride with her new husband Richard Crane. A telegram makes Crane blanch,and he hops off the train at the next stop, disappearing form Garland’s life. She searches for him,finally tracing his last address to The Cypresses, a plantation deep in the Louisiana swamp. Itturns out that Crane is slowly turning into an alligator due to the well-intentioned experimentsof scientist George…
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Duel

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 28th, 2004

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Duel was the first “ made for television” movie directed by Steven Spielberg. This thriller could best be described as a cross between the Rutger Hauer classic, “ The Hitcher,” and the Steven King inspired “Maximum Overdrive.” Dennis Weaver plays David Mann, a salesman on his way home from a cross state trip. During his return, he passes a rusted out old gasoline truck on the highway without giving it much thought. As the film unfolds, the truck begins to pursue him and initially just appears to annoy him on the r…
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ALF – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 28th, 2004

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ALF stands for Alien Life Form, but anyone who has seen this hit 1980’s comedy knows ALF stands for “Laughing your ass off funny”. OK, so the letters are out of order, but you know I’m right. It’s no surprise our favorite Melmac dude has made the DVD scene. The real shocker is that it took so long. Who remembers comedy from the 1980’s? There just wasn’t an awful lot to laugh at. ALF was the “muppet-like” creation of Paul Fusco, who also provides the wise-cracking voice of ALF. ALF’s making a comeback these days with …
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I Married a Monster from Outer Space

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 27th, 2004

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Synopsis

Returning home from his stag, the about-to-be-married Tom Tryon is abducted by an alienmonster, who then takes his place at the wedding. Bride Gloria Talbott notices right away thather husband is behaving rather strangely, but by the time she suspects that he really ISN’T herhusband, the takeover of the town of Norrisville has begun, and the poor woman doesn’t knowwho is human, and who is an alien. The aliens have invaded to breed with our women (!!!).

Obviously ins…
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Orca

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 27th, 2004

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Synopsis

Fisherman Richard Harris ignores the warnings of whale expert Charlotte Rampling andattempts to capture a killer whale, the idea being to make a mint by selling it to an aquarium.Everything goes horribly wrong, and he accidentally kills a pregnant female (the scene is prettydamn gruesome). The whale’s mate mounts a vendetta against Harris. It attacks boats and causeshuge fires, turning the town against him, and then lures him out for a final confrontation.

The Ja…
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From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 27th, 2004

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Synopsis

This is a four-part series that aired on PBS’s Frontline. Four hours long, it is ahistorical/archaeological look at Jesus’ life and that of his early followers. The series has time todelve into detail, and so the whole context of the era, political and otherwise, is presented. Ratherthan use cheesy recreations, the documentary shows us actual settings and interweaves these withinterviews with experts in the field.

Audio

Obviously, this isn’t a relea…
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Jim Henson’s Storyteller: Greek Myths (The Complete Collection)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 27th, 2004

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Synopsis

Michael Gambon narrates four tales from Greek mythology: Daedalus and Icarus, Orpheusand Eurydice, Perseus and the Gorgon, and Theseus and the Minotaur. Gambon is the Storytellerof the title. Clad in toga and moving about his workshop, he tells the stories to a talking dog. Thestories themselves cut back and forth between the tales and Gambon, and are a mixture of humanactors and Jim Henson Creature Shop creations. The result is rather ambitious, and the tone israther oddly…
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Lion in Winter, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 27th, 2004

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Synopsis

Patrick Stewart is King Henry II of England. He is on the verge of announcing the heir tohis throne. Trouble is, none of his sons are fit to rule, and two of them previously were part ofa rebellion against him, led by his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Glenn Close). He summons hisfamily to his seat of power, and the stage is set for all sorts of palace intrigue.

The screenplay is the same one used in the original film — James Goldman’s adaptation ofhis play. As present…
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Hashish

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 27th, 2004

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Synopsis

The focus of this documentary is a small mountain village in Morocco, in an area known asthe Rif. Long a centre of hashish cultivation, the region has recently seen that industry take overeverything. We follow the lives of the villagers, and see the cultivation, preparation and selling ofthe drug. There is no narration, and the camera makes no overt judgment about what we areseeing, but the to-the-camera monologues by the villagers leave one with plenty to thinkabout.

Passion of the Christ, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 26th, 2004

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Synopsis

If you really need a synopsis, where have you been hiding for the last 2000 years? Anyway,the film follows the last twelve hours of Jesus’ life, beginning with the Garden of Gethsemane,where he is tempted by Satan and betrayed to the authorities by Judas. We then move on to thetrial, the whipping, scourging and crucifixion (interspersed with little sepia flashbacks of Jesuspreaching to his apostles). At the very end, we get the resurrection (oops, was that aspoiler?).

Blindness

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 25th, 2004

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Synopsis

Pity poor Daniel Hong (Chin Han), a mild-mannered eye surgeon who is buffeted at homeby the war between his wife Natalie (Vivian Wu) and blind mother Mrs. Hong (Lisa Lu). His lifeisn’t going to get any easier, however. This night, while he is called away to the hospital, his oldfriend Patrick (Joe Lando) descends on the house. Patrick has spent the last ten years in prison forthe murder of his parents. He has escaped from custody, and he arrives at the Hong residence,hungry…
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Soap – The Complete Second Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 25th, 2004

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Sometimes, the craziest ideas are the best ones. In the world of television (and movies as well), there seems to be a constant struggle between playing it safe and gambling on a big return. For instance, when it comes to sitcoms, stories about a family plus one or two outside characters are sure-fire hits. Just look at Family Matters, The King of Queens, The George Lopez Show, Cosby, Frasier and My Wife and Kids. Shows about work, such as Newsradio, Suddenly Susan, Veronica’s Closet, Scrubs and < ...
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Missing, The

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

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Synopsis

Cate Blanchett is rearing her two daughters in 19th-Century New Mexico. The youngest isa pleasant tomboy, the eldest is a whiny young woman who wants fine things (they seem to havebeen lifted straight from Mildred Pierce). Appearing at their home one day is TommyLee Jones, Blanchett’s father who walked out when she was a little girl. The stiff, unforgivingBlanchett wants nothing to do with him, until her eldest daughter is kidnapped by a roving bandwho sell women into prosti…
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Bad Boys II

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

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Synopsis

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are squabbling away, as partners in cop movies of this kinddo. Lawrence is trying to achieve inner peace, while Smith is trying to hide the fact that he issleeping with Lawrence’s sister. Said sister is also a DEA agent, and all our heroes are trying totrack down a Cuban drug lord who seems to have cornered the market on Ecstasy. Theinvestigation proceeds with as much colossal property damage as possible.

Are we seeing the death spiral of Mich…
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King Kong Lives

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 21st, 2004

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Synopsis

Turns out Kong didn’t die at the foot of the World Trade Center. He’s been kept alive(though in a coma) in a University lab for the last ten years. Linda Hamilton has designed a hugeartificial heart for him, but he needs a massive blood transfusion. By lucky coincidence,adventurer Brian Kerwin is wandering around a set that is supposed to be Borneo, and hestumbles upon a female Kong. A half-dozen tribesmen with blowdarts promptly sedate her (asimple solution to monster trou…
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Doing Time on Maple Drive

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 21st, 2004

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Synopsis

The Carter family might appear to have it all. But as this is a Movie of the Week, we knowthat these people are really a dysfunctional calamity. And so they are: Dad is a tyrant, Mom isa social-climbing bitch-on-wheels, daughter is terrified of becoming like her mother and so hasan abortion behind her husband’s back rather than risk being a mother, older son (Jim Carreyin a supporting role) is a disappointment in every aspect, and Perfect Younger Son turns out tobe gay. My …
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Three Musketeers, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 21st, 2004

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Synopsis

Mickey, Donald and Goofy aspire to being Musketeers, but their respective weakness,cowardice and stupidity stand in their way. All seems lost, until Peg-Leg Pete, the evil captain ofthe Musketeers, finds a use for them for his own dastardly ends: the deposing of Minnie so hecan take the throne himself. Our heroes, of course, rise to the occasion.

Plenty of songs here (some quite witty), and some sharp gags too. The Useful Lessons,however, seem to me rather more hamf…
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Alexander’s Ragtime Band

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 20th, 2004

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Synopsis

Tyrone Power comes from a good family and a has a fine future as a concert violinist, but hedreams of leading a band. A chance encounter in a bar leads to the formation of Alexander’sRagtime Band, with the brassy Alice Faye as singer. Power and Faye are at it hammer and tongs,so you know they’ll wind up falling in love, and so they do. But the road they must travel is notan easy one, as Faye is hired away from the band to Broadway, and Power is recruited into thearmy just i…
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Hardcore

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 20th, 2004

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Synopsis

When midwestern Calvinist father George C. Scott’s daughter vanishes on a Church Youthtrip to California, he hires greasy PI Peter Boyle to find her. Boyle discovers a rough and nastyporn loop that she appears in. When Boyle turns out to be untrustworthy, Scott fires him andtravels to California himself, descending into the world of the sex industry in an increasinglydesperate and violent search for his daughter.

Schrader was still very much working out his own issu…
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New York Minute

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 19th, 2004

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Synopsis

Ashley Olsen is the anal-retentive honour student who is off to New York to give a speech.Rocker bad-girl sister Mary-Kate is skipping school in order to hit the Big Apple also, hoping tocrash a music video shoot for the benefit of her band. Everything conspires against their success,with the principle antagonists being Eugene Levy as the obsessive truant officer after Mary-Kate,and Andy Richter (sporting a Chinese accent) as a music pirate whose crucial computer chipwinds …
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Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 19th, 2004

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Synopsis

The most unholy of characters from the Conan O’Brien show, this rubber dog has reallytaken on a life of his own. You either love this guy, or you can’t stand him. Me, I’m still laughingas I try to write this review. Included in this compilation are such routines as the controversialQuebec City visit, and Triumph’s appearance on The Hollywood Squares. Extremely rude andnasty, but quite appallingly funny too.

Audio

The 2.0 audio is certainly adequate …
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