Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 18th, 2007
Synopsis
Peter O’Toole plays Maurice, an actor now reduced largely to playing corpses (or near corpses) and watching his days fade away in the company of his similarly elderly friends. Enter Jessie (Jodie Whittaker), the grand-niece of one of those cronies. Maurice is taken with her, and the story then takes a decidedly Pygmalion-esque turn as sullen young woman and ageing Lothario learn from each other.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 18th, 2007
Blood & Chocolate is based upon the novel of the same name by Annette Curtis Klause, which was written in 1997 and has since been in the talks of screenplay adaptation. Written by Ehren Kruger (Arlington Road, Scream 3, The Ring) and directed by little known German director Katja von Garnier, Blood & Chocolate looks too impress.
It was refreshing to see a werewolf movie with a much different formula then were used to. Instead of the typical blood soaked horror we are presented with a dark an... somewhat more reasonable storyline. Vivian (Agnes Bruckner) and her family live in America, but when word spreads that they are a family of werewolves, a posse burns down their house and leaves everyone for dead. Vivian escapes and moves to Romania to be with her aunt Astrid and fellow werewolves. What interested me was the fact that these werewolves are proud. They come from a centuries old family of loup-garou’s (their fancy word for werewolves) that can shape shift on thought as opposed to the tiresome uncontrollable full moon fits of rage. They hunt only to survive and only on the full moons, and they avoid any public displays as they know if their identity is compromised they will stand no chance against the enraged humans.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 18th, 2007
Synopsis
My life has been a strange journey. Recently I found myself divorced after a three year marriage. Needless to say I'm probably need a bit of soul searching. Perhaps I need to cleanse my spirit before setting back out into the world from which I came. Now I've never been a religiously deep person but I do take myself on as a spiritual one. So to see a surprise title in my queue with the words The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success would bring at least a little ...bit of curiosity to my senses. In 1994, Deepak Chopra wrote a book with the above title and it granted him critical acclaim from people worldwide. Thirteen years later, this is brought to us in dvd form to enjoy. While some of the theories can be debated, a lot of its fundamental ideas make sense.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 17th, 2007
We hear it all the time. Some kid had it rough as a child. Single parent home, gangs, poor schools and even poorer neighborhoods. What this usually describes is some three time loser who has just robbed or killed somebody and ends up in a high speed chase with police. Some folks take adversity and turn it into gold. George Lopez is the latter. He’ll be the first one to tell you that the sad stories his character tells of his youth are rooted in cold hard reality. Not only does he bare these painful memories for mil...ions to see, but he encourages us to laugh at them. Lopez doesn’t have the same kind of raw talent that most comedic actors draw from. For Lopez the talent is in the genuineness of the portrayal. He’s capable of some of the most complicated expressions that make us want to take him home. Of course, feeding him is another story. There’s nothing really complicated about the George Lopez Show, however. While it has recently been cancelled, it remains one of the true standout sitcoms of the decade. The George Lopez show doesn’t rely on sexual innuendo or exotic situations for its laughs. This is the kind of show you don’t have to be embarrassed watching with the kids.
George Lopez is George Lopez. He has a son, Max (Garcia) and a daughter Carmen (Lusha). His wife Angie (Marie) is a fiery Cuban who is a constant clash to George’s more laid back demeanor. Their family backgrounds are quite different even though both are Latino. Here the show does a great job of dispelling Latino stereotypes by accenting the cultural differences between George and Angie. Don’t get me wrong. There’s plenty of Latino generalization throughout the show, played mostly for laughs. The show is almost stolen by George’s mother, Benny (Moreno) who’s not often very apologetic about her dysfunctional mothering when George was a child. The banter provides some of the best moments in the show. There are few comedies these days that actually get me to laugh. The most many get are a random chuckle from time to time. The George Lopez Show is one of those few that elicit genuine laughter. I’m talking Sanford and Son laughs here.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 17th, 2007
James Garner could have been a Hollywood leading man. He had surfaced in a few films and apparently was on every director’s radar at one time or another. Hit or miss, he might have made quite an impact on the film industry. Instead, he will forever be known for the two defining television roles of his career. Maverick completely reinvented the television western. Up until that time the western was a place populated by clear good guys and bad guys. Men like Marshall Dillon and Ben Cartwright were known for their wholesome ways and do unto others attitude, perhaps mixed in with the occasional frontier justice. Enter Bret Maverick, who was a morally ambiguous character who loved to gamble and often run a con, even if it was usually on the bad guys. A western Robin Hood, if you will. It’s no surprise that when Stephen Cannell was looking for a new character he would bring Bret Maverick into the current day. Instead of a horse, Rockford drove an iconic Firebird. Still, even without the western trappings, Rockford is Maverick.
James Rockford lived in a trailer on the beach. His lovable dad was a truck driver who never did understand how his “sonny” could be mixed up in the dirty world of private investigations. While Rockford always projected a tough guy exterior, it was his soft spot for a sad story that often got him deep in trouble. He could understand the world of injustice. He had spent five years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Even after a full pardon, the cops considered him a lowlife ex-con. His one buddy, Lt. Becker, usually laid low among his fellow officers, often afraid to admit to being Rockford’s friend. Rockford was also king of the con. When normal tactics didn’t work, he could bring together a group of scam artists and con men to handle the largest of productions. He traveled with his own business card printing press. Afraid of guns, Rockford usually kept his in the cookie jar.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 16th, 2007
Following the success of back-to-back hits Forest Gump and Apollo 13, Tom Hanks wanted to shake things up. His project of choice? Writing and directing his first feature film.
The result was That Thing You Do!, a light, enjoyable comedy about a 60’s pop band that makes it big on the strength of one hit song. Barely together a few weeks, The Oneders (pronounced “Wonders”) win a small-town talent contest, which lands them their first gig, playing at a local bar. Before they can adjust to ...heir first taste of success, they land a touring deal with Play-Tone, a record label. Just like that, they’re on a whirlwind tour that echoes the success of The Beatles. But can they handle the big-time, or will fame tear them apart?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 15th, 2007
Synopsis
Here we go: all 30 episodes of the first season, wherein we follow the adventures of Flipper, a dolphin owned by youngsters Bud and Sandy. All three are watched over by their father, Chief Ranger Ricks of Coal Key Park. The formula for each episode generally sees either someone who needs rescuing (from drowning, shark attack, that sort of thing) and Flipper must help out, or the boys and the dolphin wind up in trouble after poking their noses somewhere they shouldn’t. It’s all very familiar,...but damn if the show doesn’t still generate a certain degree of suspense with its cascade of predicaments. Also fun is the behind-the-scenes talent. Co-creator and director of many episodes is Ricou Browning, who played the Creature from the Black Lagoon in the underwater sequences of that film. He gets to recreate that role in the final episode of the season, as a monster movie is being shot at Coral Key, and Browning plays the monster (the costume appears to be repurposed version of the one used in The Monster from Piedras Blancas). There are moments in this episode which are deliberate, happier echoes of the original Creature. Curiously, the Creature was played in the land scenes by Ben Chapman, and that name shows up in the credits too as production supervisor, though in this case the name is a coincidence.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 15th, 2007
The Pang brothers, twins Oxide and Danny, are most well-known for co-directing the hit horror film The Eye back in 2002, and its 2004 sequel, The Eye 2. The Messengers marks their first Hollywood studio effort, and despite it being panned by critics, the brothers have already moved on to more.
The story here is simple. A family buys a house in the middle of nowhere, hoping the move will turn around their fortunes and heal their bonds, which are strained after some big, emotionally traum...tic event. Too bad for them the house is haunted. I could have told them, if they’d only asked. One look at the place and it screams “enter if you dare.” Plus, I had the benefit of seeing the film’s intro, which depicts the horrible, violent deaths of a mother and two children at the hands of some mysterious, unseen force. In the same house.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 14th, 2007
Synopsis
Stereo-typing is a nasty business and unfortunately happens a lot in Hollywood. Certain actors play certain types of characters, certain movies always have the same themes, certain Uwe Boll movies (all) get bad ratings, etc. One of those unfortunate stereo-types is african-american movie making. Quite often you see an urban setting, a rise from the ghetto, or something related to basketball or football. Dominant african-american stereo-typing at what everybody thin...s they do best. Sometimes however there are films that try to steer away from that by portraying them in a different light; one we aren't used to (but should be). It is the only hope that it is still a good film when all said and done.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on May 14th, 2007
Synopsis
Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse! (tell me you just didn't say that) So what happens to a 31 year old adult who sits through a show alone that is geared towards children who might not even be in grade school yet? Besides binge drinking & wondering why he doesn't have a date this weekend? Apparently some good wholesome family entertainment. I was actually a little surprised how decent this was after twenty minutes into the program.
