Video

Forbidden Dance, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 5th, 2003

Synopsis

Ubiquitous B-movie bad guy Richard Lynch is clearing the Brazilian rain forest. Nativeprincess Laura Herring (or, as she is now known, Laura Elena Harring) arrives in LA hoping toconvince the chairman of the evil multinational to halt the destruction. She falls in love with thechairman’s son, and lot of dancing ensues. Utterly inane. Harring went on to much better thingsin Mulholland Dr.

Audio

The 2.0 sound is decent but unspectacular….
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Kids Are Alright, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 5th, 2003

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Synopsis

The Kids Are Alright is an combination of footage of performances by The Who(covering the fifteen years of their career up to 1979) and interview excerpts. There are all sortsof historic moments here, one of which occurs right off the top, where we see the band’sappearance on the Smothers Brothers TV show, where an overdone explosion set PeteTownsend’s hair on fire (and perhaps was responsible for his hearing loss). If you’re not a fan ofthe group, this will p…
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The Hospital

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 3rd, 2003

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Arthur Hiller’s films are often quirky and funny like The In-Laws, but just as often confusing. The Hospital left me with a feeling that most of the material was over my head. At times Woody Allen, and at others Alan Greenspan. The jacket promises a look behind the scenes of the modern hospital. What we mostly get is a character study performed exceptionally by George C. Scott, but little else. Important subplots like the hospital’s takeover of a ghetto building are never really fully developed.
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Smallville – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 3rd, 2003

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Synopsis

The pilot episode lets you know immediately that this is going to be a bit different from thebucolic Smallville stories we might be familiar with. The spaceship containing the child Kal-El(soon to be Clark Kent) doesn’t arrive on its own: it is accompanied by many fragments of theplanet Krypton, which smash destructively into Smallville, killing the parents of Lana Lang (andalmost putting paid to a young Lex Luthor). Flash forward to the present, and we follow ClarkKent thr…
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Office, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 3rd, 2003

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Synopsis

Set in a dismal industrial park (appropriately named the Slough), the offices in questionbelong to Wernham Hogg, a paper company. Principle characters are insufferable boss DavidBrent, skeletal yes-man Gareth Keenan, cynical receptionist Dawn, and bored-out-of-his-skullsales rep Tim. The characters each get their turn speaking to the camera (especially thepsychotically pleased with himself Brent), and we see them interacting too. The tone is not unlikeLarry Sanders, and the…
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Hollywood Homicide

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 2nd, 2003

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Synopsis

Harrison Ford is the veteran cop whose runs a real estate business on the side (and businessisn’t good). Josh Hartnett is his young partner who is thinking of givine up police work in favourof acting. Their current case involves a massacre at a night club, where the members of an up-and-coming rap group were gunned down. They investigate while trying to keep their alternatecareers going. More trouble lurks in the form of Internal Affairs investigator Bruce Greenwood,who has…
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Better Luck Tomorrow

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 1st, 2003

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MTV film’s Better Luck Tomorrow is a chilling look in the high schools of today. It starts out like an 80’s teen comedy but by the middle of the film quickly turns into a Guy Ritchie style movie with quick cuts and even faster action.

The movie follows the story of 4 Asian high school students in Orange County California who are preparing to enter college. They all excel in academics and during the first half of the movie try to “pad” their college applications by engaging in many extra curricular a…
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Gas Food Lodging

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 1st, 2003

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Three women in small town Texas deal with their complicated lives. Nora Evans (Brook Adams) struggles with being a single mother raising two daughters. Trudi Evans (Ione Skye) is a rebellious trouble maker and very promiscuous much to the dismay of her mother, after getting pregnant and the father disappearing she moves to Dallas to have the baby and give it up for adoption. Her sister Shade (Fairuza Balk) justs wants everyone to be happy and does whatever she can to find her mom a man, including tracking down her re…
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Deranged

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 1st, 2003

Synopsis

JoBeth Williams plays radio host Dr. Rose. Turfed from her radio show, she moves fromsmall-town Eureka to LA (taking with her a mannequin with whom she has involvedconversations). She lands a new job at a small college, and starts making a name for herself.Unfortunately, she has no real qualifications, and is (as Williams twitchy performance makesclear from the opening seconds on) completely off her nut. When a skeptical student starts raisingquestions about her, Dr. Rose w…
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Holes

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 30th, 2003

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Disney has done a very good job bringing the children’s novel Hoels to the big screen (or little screen for this DVD release). This film contains a good story with some solid moral values being taught to the young viewers. The story and acting are both quite good, creating a film that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

Watchers / Watchers II

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 30th, 2003

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Synopsis

The premise to both movies is pretty much the same: super-intelligent Labrador retrieverescapes from government lab and is pursued by evil Sasquatch/ape monster that kills anyone thedog comes near (the two are telepathically linked, you see). In the first movie, the dog hooksup with Corey Haim. In the second, with Marc Singer. The results are odd, rather like OldYeller meets Predator: Disney animal scenes mixed with eye-gougings. None of thisis particularly go…
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Fright Night Part II

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 29th, 2003

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Synopsis

Convinced, after therapy, that his previous vampire-fighting adventure was the product of adelusion, William Ragsdale returns to normal life. Unfortunately, he and horror host PeterVincent (Roddy McDowall, reprising his Peter Cushing/Vincent Price role) are targeted byvampire Julie Carmen, who wants revenge for the death of her brother. The comedy isn’t funny,and the horror isn’t scary. The film is slick, but is just barely a passable time-waster.

Audio

Old Grey Whistle Test, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 28th, 2003

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British Television has always done a good job of showcasing music with variety programs. The Old Grey Whistle Test is probably the best of these and over its 16 year run featured some of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. We are treated to 28 live performances by huge bands like U2, REM, The Police, Bob Marley and Bruce Springsteen as well as riveting performances by the likes of The Dammed, Tom Waits and Iggy Pop. This is a great disc for any rock and roll fan especially if you grew up in th…
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Howling V: The Rebirth / Howling VI: The Freaks

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 28th, 2003

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Synopsis

In Howling V: The Rebirth (**), a group of strangers gather for the re-opening of aHungarian castle, which has been shut up for 500 years. One by one they are killed off by a(barely glimpsed) werewolf, and there is a secret that ties them all together. Nothing tooextraordinary here, and werewolf fans will be disappointed by the monster’s next-to-zero screentime. This is, in fact, a throwback to the kind of movie involving much prowling around a darkcastle that Italy …
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Dio – Evil or Divine

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 28th, 2003

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Ronnie James Dio was at one time the leader singer for Black Sabbath after the departure of Ozzy Osborne. He went on to form his own band and they are still together making albums and touring, this is a show from the Roseland Theater in December of 2002. From a musical standing this is an old school 90’s metal band that are just as much about show as they are about the music, having said that the band is very tight and sounds very good. Musically, well it is up to you to decide if you like it or not but, on a perform…
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Gristle, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 27th, 2003

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Synopsis

Our starting point are two black medical assistants, who are lured by their dreams intoproviding some black-market kidneys. (One of them dreams of making a movie about “a blackgirl dying of cancer.”) They are supposed to meet two white guys (Secret Service men buying thekidney for a racist senator) at a suburban motel. Unfortunately, another deal is also supposed togo down at the same spot, this one involving two Cuban gangsters who are supposed to buy aload of cocaine from…
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Regarding Henry

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 27th, 2003

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Synopsis

Harrison Ford first appears with slicked-back hair (now oddly, but not inappropriately,reminiscent of Christian Bale’s look in American Psycho) as a top-flight lawyer andworld-class SOB, inconsiderate toward his wife and daughter. Then he’s shot in the head.Recovery is long and slow, and he has lost his memory. As he returns to his life, he is now amuch nicer person, and discovers that he doesn’t like the man he used to be. Director MikeNichols and writer Jeffrey Abr…
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Expiration

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 26th, 2003

Synopsis

Gavin Heffernan is told by best pal Erin Simkin that she is pregnant, and that the child is his.Convinced that he hears destiny calling, Heffernan drives Simkin to Montreal for an evening out,intending to propose. He’s right about destiny being just around the corner, but it doesn’ttake the form he thought. Stopping in a convenience store to pick up some stomach medicine forSimkin, he gets caught by a robbery, and his engagement ring is stolen. So is a bag that belongsto Janet Lane…
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Hard Word, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 25th, 2003

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Synopsis

Guy Pearce leads a gang of three bank-robber brothers. They’re very good at what they do,and they take great pride in the fact that no one has ever been hurt during one of their jobs.Released from prison, they stage another heist in partnership with their lawyer and some crookedcops. What they don’t know is that their lawyer is sleeping with Pearce’s wife (the incendiaryRachel Griffiths), and he has them sent back to prison, only to spring them once again for aneven bigger …
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Scenes of the Crime

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 24th, 2003

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Synopsis

Jon Abrahams plays Lenny Burroughs. He’s about to get married and, to his fiancee’schagrin, continues to earn money by driving mob guy Peter Greene around. On this particularday, what he thinks is a simple errand turns out not to be when Greene kidnaps top mobster JeffBridges, the promptly gets himself killed. A terrified Abrahams holes up in his van with Bridgesat gunpoint, while the mysterious currents of the mob war play out around him. The cast is quiteimpressive (add M…
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Bionicle: Mask Of Light

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 24th, 2003

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Who would have thought that a Lego animated film would be so cool? This CGI animated feature film, Lego’s first venture into a mainstream feature-length movie, is great for all ages; it contains an interesting story line, good characters, and amazing animation. If you have not been privy to the past stories of Bionicle, you should really jump in and explore Mask Of Light…

”Discover the latest chapter in this legendary story in an all-new CGI animated movie. It’s nonstop action as Jaller and his bes…
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Troll / Troll 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 23rd, 2003

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Synopsis

In Troll (**), a family headed up by Michael Moriarty and Shelley Hack move intotheir new apartment. Unfortunately the young daughter is kidnapped and impersonated by a troll,who goes about turning the other residents into greenery or fairy creatures. Among thosesuffering this fate are Sonny Bono and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who can’t have been too happy tohave this hunk of cheese lurking on their CVs. Mediocre as Troll is, it does at least havefairly high ambiti…
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The Core

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2003

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If you like to nitpick the “that couldn’t happen” stuff in a sci-fi film, this is not the movie for you. The only thing you’ll get out of The Core is a ride. The plot is completely absurd and unlike the very similar Armageddon, this film doesn’t deliver near the action. Special effects range from quite cool to the obvious animations and matte paintings. What impresses me most is that the cast got through this with a straight face. The Core deservedly didn’t perform well at the box office but it is still worth a watch.
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Silkwood

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 23rd, 2003

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Synopsis

Meryl Streep copped another Oscar nomination for her performance as Karen Silkwood, low-level employee at an Oklahoma nuclear power plant. She is driven to activism once she realizeshow her life and those of her fellow employees are being endangered by the shoddy safetystandards. Streep is backed up by fine performances from Kurt Russell and Cher, but Nicholstakes his own sweet time with the direction.

Audio

A mono soundtrack, and this is a film fro…
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28 Days Later

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 23rd, 2003

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Synopsis

A terrible virus called Rage (which just happens to be the French word for rabies, thatdistinctly English fear) gets loose and ravages the population of Britain. 28 days after the initialrelease, Cilian Murphy wakes up in a deserted hospital. He wanders around empty London,wondering where everyone has gone, until, come night, he is attacked by a horde of the infected,who move like George Romero zombies on speed. He is rescued by Naomie Harris, and togetherthey then hook up …
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