Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 9th, 2004
Synopsis
Inspired by a real figure, Call Me Madam is a good-nature political satire, which seesEthel Merman appointed ambassador to Lichtenberg (i.e. Luxembourg). The government of thetiny dukedom is hoping for a massive US loan (which will make possible the marriage betweenVera-Ellen and a neighbouring country’s cold fish nobleman). Merman, however, has nointention of granting that loan, until she meets General George Sanders (sporting a silly MittleEuropean accent). Sanders...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 9th, 2004
Suspended animation is a story with a lot of promise. Fifteen minutes into the film and it looks like we’re seeing a Misery ripoff with a cannibal twist. From that point on I’m not sure if I’m watching Misery, Deliverance, or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There are some truly suspenseful moments in the film, but they are spaced too far apart with needless muddled plotlines. The film style is eerily reminiscent of the Italian suspense masters like Brava and Argento without the gore. The Spaghetti Nightmares are an obvious ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on April 9th, 2004
Synopsis
Liam Neeson is Oskar Schindler, ladies man with an eye for the main chance. He makes afortune in German-occupied Warsaw, staffing his factory with the cut-rate labour provided bythe Jews. As the Nazi persecution of the Jews becomes more and more murderous, Schindler’sconscience is awakened, and he eventually becomes intent not on making money through cheaplabour, but in saving the lives of his employees.
Shot in black and white, with the disturbing exception of a li...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 8th, 2004
The 80’s were full of fun, campy comedies. Weird Science, The Money Pit… even Funny Farm had a certain charm. Unfortunately, for every Stripes there were as least six films like our feature presentation.
Walk Like a Man stars Howie Mandell, the 80’s version of Carrot Top. He’s an annoying hack, yet somehow he remained in the public spotlight. The film’s plot is a simple one; Bobo (Mandell) is a boy that was raised by wolves, and now he must learn to fit into society, or el...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 8th, 2004
Come join the Baker family (all twelve of them) for a fun, entertaining and albeit crazy ride through their life. While trying to manage twelve kids and a job Tom and Kate Baker (Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt) manage to do it all, while still staying somewhat sane.
With a great cast of Hollywood veterans and up and comers “Cheaper By the Dozen” offers something for kids and adults of all ages. The dynamic between Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt presents a real sense of family togetherness and even the idea that a...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 5th, 2004
Master and Commander is an epic tale that is adapted from 2 novels of a 20 novel collection by writer Patrick O’Brian. This Napoleonic-era story follows the escapades of Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his intrepid crew aboard the British war frigate HMS Surprise, as they try to hunt down and capture or destroy the French warship Acheron. The Film gets off to a fast start as Capt. Aubrey and crew are ambushed by the Acheron and decimated in short order. This initial attack is well done and well acted ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 3rd, 2004
Ahh, little Lizzie McGuire. The last time we saw our teen queen on DVD, she was surrounded by an assortment of special guest stars. This time around, the topic is one of the most popular among teen girls… the crush. Specifically, we’re talking about such dreamboats as the paperboy, a substitute teacher, Larry the geek, and of course, Ethan.
For me, some of the best scenes in this show feature my favorite Nerd, Robert Carradine. Many sitcoms paint the character of the father as either disinterested in...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 3rd, 2004
I am often fooled into watching a bad film because the box looked good. I can’t tell you how many times I have been in the video store and uttered the phrase “this looks good”, only to get home and be reminded that looks can be deceiving. Rare have been the times when I found a good film packaged in a bad box. It happens, but not that often. Lucky for me, this is one of those times.
Now, there’s really nothing special about this movie, mind you. The film is just a rehash of the plethora of teen slasher flic...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 3rd, 2004
CSI continued to improve into its third season. The stories are as crisp and innovative as ever. Surprisingly, the show did not suffer from the addition of its fine but inferior Miami cousin. Minor characters like lab tech Greg are put to much better use. The f/x get better also, and a strong cast of guest stars doesn’t hurt the mix either.
Audio
This Dolby Digital 5.1 sound once again reinvents TV sound. Highs and lows both exhibit dynamic performance. Dialogue is crisp and always clear. ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 2nd, 2004
Let’s face it… when it comes to boxing movies, there’s Raging Bull, and then there’s everything else. Rocky (and the subsequent cash driven vehicles) is a great film, but not really a great film about boxing. Even Daniel Day-Lewis’ The Boxer is more about the man than the sport. It’s hard to make a great boxing film. Not only is it extremely difficult to capture the action authentically, but very few actors have the physical ability to pull off such a role.
Well, I don’t know how easily...
