Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 18th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 18th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 18th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 18th, 2004
The folks at Criterion continue their quest to make every one of Fellini’s heirs millionaires with their release of I Vitelloni, the famed director’s second solo effort. This semi-autobiographical tale follows the lives of a group of young men who are on the verge of growing up and making something of their lives, but haven’t quite gotten there yet. Part American Pie, part About a Boy, and all Fellini, this film is an important addition to any foreign film collection.
The film garnered ...ritical acclaim upon its release, and even earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. I was personally surprised about how universal and timeless the themes of the film were. Many modern films deal with the same issues of escape from a small town and becoming something grand. Especially surprising were the comparisons that can easily be drawn with modern gangster movies and television shows such as The Soprano’s. The interaction between the friends in this film is uncannily similar to scenes of Tony Soprano and his crew sitting outside Satriale’s Pork Store.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 17th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 16th, 2004
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 16th, 2004
Jeff Foxworthy has experienced something of a renaissance as of late. In the early 90’s, this loveable redneck burst on to the comedy scene with his southern style of humor, driven by the ever-popular series of “…you might be a redneck” jokes. Living in the south myself, I was both entertained and angered by his routine. On the one hand, it kind-of made me angry that he was making Southerners sound so stupid. On the other hand, it was funny because it was true. Such is the dilemma of living in the South.
An...way, as I understand it, the swift life of an instant celebrity was a little more than Foxworthy was able to handle, so instead of ruining his life with wine, women and song, he disappeared from the spotlight for a while. After some time away, he has re-emerged as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, and the spotlight is back.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 15th, 2004
While Sliders may not rank in the upper echelon of sci-fi/fantasy series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel or its predecessor Quantum Leap, it is a very watchable show with endearing characters and witty writing at times. Quinn (Jerry O'Connell), a brainy San Francisco physics student, has perfected a device – in his mom's basement, no less – that opens up a temporary wormhole between alternate Earths. By leaping into the wormhole, one can "slide" between worlds; but of course there's ... catch, which is the foundation of the show's appeal. It seems there's no way to return back from whence you came, so Quinn, along with his college professor Maximillian Arturo (John Rhys-Davies), Wade (Sabrina Lloyd), and, through an odd turn of events, fading R&B singer Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown (Cleavant Derricks), are left to slide from alternate world to alternate world each week, finding themselves in some very strange places trying to find their way home.
Each episode finds our heroes exploring alternate realities - What if the Americans lost to the British during in 1776, what if the atomic bomb was never invented, what if modern medicine never discovered penicillin—those are some of the scenarios Quinn, Arturo, Wade, and Crying Man find themselves in; once you get past the all too convenient plot reliance on having one of the main characters just happening to be a key character in the alternate world (or one of their friends), you can focus on the fact that the writing is generally a whole lot smarter than most if the sci-fi series out there.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on August 15th, 2004
While Sliders may not rank in the upper echelon of sci-fi/fantasy series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel or its predecessor Quantum Leap, it is a very watchable show with endearing characters and witty writing at times. Quinn (Jerry O'Connell), a brainy San Francisco physics student, has perfected a device – in his mom's basement, no less – that opens up a temporary wormhole between alternate Earths. By leaping into the wormhole, one can "slide" between worlds; but of course there's ... catch, which is the foundation of the show's appeal. It seems there's no way to return back from whence you came, so Quinn, along with his college professor Maximillian Arturo (John Rhys-Davies), Wade (Sabrina Lloyd), and, through an odd turn of events, fading R&B singer Rembrandt "Crying Man" Brown (Cleavant Derricks), are left to slide from alternate world to alternate world each week, finding themselves in some very strange places trying to find their way home.
Each episode finds our heroes exploring alternate realities - What if the Americans lost to the British during in 1776, what if the atomic bomb was never invented, what if modern medicine never discovered penicillin—those are some of the scenarios Quinn, Arturo, Wade, and Crying Man find themselves in; once you get past the all too convenient plot reliance on having one of the main characters just happening to be a key character in the alternate world (or one of their friends), you can focus on the fact that the writing is generally a whole lot smarter than most if the sci-fi series out there.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on August 14th, 2004
Synopsis
