Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 15th, 2007
Long the bad boy of French novelists, Jean Genet directed this 25-minute short in 1950. Borderline pornographic, it is a silent portrayal of (literally) imprisoned desire. Two prisoners convey their longing for one another through the prison walls, while a voyeuristic guard watches, becoming aroused and frustrated to the point of violence. Poetic, fetishistic, and intensely personal, it is a startling and historic piece of underground cinema.Audio
Consider the rating a place-holder, because we don't have a star equivalent for "Not Applicable." This is a completely silent film. Not even a score. As for the extras, they are clear enough.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2007
At one point or another you�ve either seen Ghost, or have seen some of its memorable scenes parodied. Paramount is now releasing a new special collector�s edition of the 1990 Academy Award winning picture. Since then, star Patrick Swayze hasn�t really been up to much besides a Ja Rule video and a small role in Donnie Darko. Whether Demi Moore has seen success since this film is debatable, but for a while there in 1990 these two were the talk of the town. At the time I was too young to have any interest in the film, so prior to this review all I knew were the memorable clips I�d seen. I looked forward to finally viewing the entire film.
Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) are just your average happy couple living out their lives in New York City. Sam appears to have a problem expressing his feelings for Molly, only saying �ditto� when she tells him �I love you.� Apart from this obvious minor hindrance on the relationship, the two seem genuinely happy. That is until one night while walking back from the theatre the couple is mugged, Sam puts up a fight and is shot and killed. His soul doesn�t realize this and chases down the thief. When he returns to the scene, he realizes what has transpired but he doesn�t accept it and refuses to be taken by the light, leaving him on earth as a ghost. Sam follows the thief home and eventually finds out that none other than Sam�s best friend and co-worker Carl Bruner in fact planned his murder. Frustrated and feeling helpless, Sam enlists the help of the fraudulent medium Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg), who appears to be the only one who can hear him. Through her, Sam contacts Molly and tries to remedy the situation, but things get out of control and quick.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2007
No matter where you grew up or what books you�ve read, you have undoubtedly come across the workings of William Shakespeare, and especially his Romeo and Juliet. This film takes the dialogue from the original play pretty much word for word but depicts it in a more modern time, with, of course, then-teen heart throbs Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as our star-crossed lovers.
Instead of swords and castles, there are guns and skyscrapers. The famous opening argument with Benvolio, Tybalt and Mercuteo is a public firefight that kicks off the film. For the few of you who are unfamiliar with Romeo and Juliet, it�s a love story about two young people who are forbidden to love each other because of their families. For as long as anyone can remember, the Capulets and Montagues have shared a mutual hatred for one another. Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, meet and share a passionate love for one another but are forever bound to secrecy as no one in either family could accept this love connection � the hate runs too deep. The story deals with the tribulations of love in the midst of hate, and the couple�s eventual decline.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 15th, 2007
I�ve been anticipating the release of Harsh Times for quite a while now, never being able to catch it in the theatre, I finally got the chance to check it out. Christian Bale is by now known for his versatility and wide range of playable characters; Harsh Times offers another committed and deep portrayal to his resume. Bale plays ex-ranger Jim Davis who is back in Los Angeles after a 6-year tour. He is trying to land a job with the LAPD so he can marry his Mexican sweetheart and have her live in America. Only things don�t go as planned and the LAPD turn him down sending Jim into an uncontrollable rage and has him craving all things illegal. Riding shotgun for the whole adventure is his best friend Mike Alonzo (Freddy Rodriguez), a nearly completely reformed ex-con. Dealing with problems of his own, particularly his girlfriend Sylvia (Eva Longoria), Mike sets out daily to find work but instead finds himself running the streets with Jim. Before things get worse there is hope yet as The Department of Homeland Security calls up Jim where he hopes to land a job. Soon the two aspects of his life have to find balance as things start spinning out of control for the two best friends, will it end with everyone back on the right track, or in blood?
Simply put Harsh Times is a great movie, some great performances and a story I�ve never seen done before. Bale�s character was so conflicted it was hard to predict his next move and what he was really capable of, then to counter that was the equally impressive performance of Freddy Rodriguez as the mellow cool headed one of the group. This movie takes turns down places you wouldn�t expect which left me interesting throughout its entire duration. At times this film had me laughing, at the edge of my seat, and mesmerized with what was going to happen next. If you were a fan of Training Day you should check this movie out, although there are a few similarities, Harsh Times provides a deeper story with more realistic characters, proving to be a must see.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 14th, 2007
Based on a true story Conversations With God tells the story of Neale Donald Walsch, an average guy who loses his job, gets into an automobile accident and breaks his neck, and finally loses his family to a divorce. It wasn't long after this tragic chain of events, with his hospital bills rising and nobody wanting to hire a middle-aged man with health problems, that Walsch finally became homeless.
Hitting rock bottom with no prospects for improving his predicament, he begins to audibly question God. Wa...sch claims that God answered him... audibly. While this is a fact that is clearly open to some contention, it certainly makes for compelling storytelling.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 14th, 2007
Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow wake up in bed together, having just met the night before. Much cautious circling of the one another ensues in the apartment, and as they go their separate ways, more anxious debating follows regarding whether they should get together again. Is Farrow the one for Hoffman, and what about the fact that he doesn’t even know her name?
This is a film that could only have been made in 1969 (unless your name is Woody Allen), what with its incessant interrogation of character neuroses and a very self-conscious attempt to present us with How Romance Works In The New Scene. The script is not as smart as it thinks it is, and a perfect example of this is the scene where are two characters first meet. The context is a disagreement over a movie that another character thinks is pretentious nonsense. The film, never mentioned by name, Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend. So the reference is lying there for film-savvy viewers to catch and feel superior to the characters, this is hardly a film that can justifiably be name-checking that corrosive satire. In two words, the film is pretentious and contrived. In one word, tiresome.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 14th, 2007
A young woman leaves her small town and intensely religious family to study at University. Even as she experiences the new freedom of campus life, her epileptic seizures become much worse, and she gradually comes to the conclusion that she is possessed. Her friends try to help her as her suffering becomes intolerable, but she eventually turns to a priest who wants to perform an exorcism.
If the above synopsis sounds familiar, that’s because this film is based on the same case that inspired The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Requiem makes that other effort look utterly ridiculous. The case misleadingly promotes the film as a gothic horror flick, which it is not, though its story is undeniably horrific. There are no special effects, and the presentation of the symptoms comes down to Sandra Hüller’s remarkable performance as the unfortunate Michaela. By the time her symptoms are at their peak, we don’t need any CGI or tricked-up sound design to recoil in horror and pity from the tortured woman. Director Hans-Christian Schmid and writer Bernd Lange shy away from a supernatural explanation (while maintaining a certain degree of ambiguity), but this in no way lessens the horror of the proceedings. In fact, the cause of Michaela’s suffering is almost beside the point – the reality of that suffering is the true focus of the film. Though it must be said that the possibility lurks that religious belief is a contributing factor to the unfolding tragedy. Despite all the movies dealing with demonic possession, The Exorcist has really been the only one definitive exorcism film. Now, at last, there is a second, and Requiem succeeds so harrowingly because of its restraint, its utterly believable portrayal of characters and events, and its refusal to imitate William Friedkin’s film. It charts is own path, and does so with enormous assurance.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2007
Jack Webb's empire was running strong as Emergency entered its third year. What is interesting is that the series never racked up great numbers, but it had some strong staying power. Fans who did watch the show were loyal, and it along with Webb's police shows were affecting the pop culture. It's no secret that the contributions to society were high for Emergency. The modern paramedic system owes more than a little bit to the legacy of the series. The actors are still approached by folks who credit them with their decision to go into the life-saving business. More than a few cities around the country were inspired into creating such units because of the show. What's even better is that it could create such great social change and still be one hell of an entertaining series.
The premise is the same: Roy DeSoto (Tighe) and John Gage (Mantooth) were pioneers in the paramedic field. They would be stationed out of L.A.'s real station 51. With each new episode we were treated to a standard formula that would include some kind of daring rescue. The hospital scenes usually played out more like a soap opera and, for me at least, tended to slow things down. We young boys wanted to see more high risk rescues. Season three was a very comfortable year for the show. The interplay was about as smooth as any show on the air. Gage's foils with the IRS and others provide a ton more meat this season than it had in the first 2. That makes for entertaining drama and comedy beyond the rescues.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2007
Penguins are "in" right now. They March and they dance with those adorably Happy Feet. So, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone decided there was money to be made by turning in a penguin farce. Unfortunately for us, that someone turned out to be Bob Saget. I admit to knowing very little about Saget outside of his family sitcom and home movies shows. This is a side of him I wish I'd never seen. This film is absolutely unfit for the kiddies. Now let me first say that I'm certainly not one of those folks that gets easily offended. I've been a South Park fan since the beginning and would never consider myself sensitive to crude humor. With that said, I must honestly say that Farce of the Penguins is the most disgusting piece of crap I've seen in some time. It would be tolerable if it were even a little bit funny. The only chuckles you'll get out of this is a handful of throw away lines. The rest is simply not at all humorous. Even Samuel L. Jackson can't save this mess with his narration. The story is simple: Carl (Saget) is a penguin who's looking for penguin love. Jimmy (Black), his best buddy, tries to convince him that the girl of his dreams is waiting for him at the end of their 70 mile trek to mate. The entire 80 minutes is spent with poor voice over during March of the Penguins style nature footage. Nothing really matches, and perhaps that's not really the point. The film drags along at an incredibly slow and awkward pace toward the breeding grounds where Carl meets Melissa (Applegate). The two hook up and a few rather raunchy complications allow this farce to continue even longer. By the time the end credits roll, pretty much every unfunny cliché has been set to penguin footage, and you've lost nearly an hour and a half of your life.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 13th, 2007
The first Open Water film was one of those underdog stories that keep the filmmaking industry alive and vibrant today. I was pleased with the simplicity of it all and the emotional effect that kind of storytelling could have. The film provided hope that an Indie film shot on weekends and vacations on an almost nonexcistant budget could have something important to say. While this sequel attempts to reproduce all of these elements, it only further demonstrates how sadly they are missing. There's no small production feel to the process. The only thing small here is the script. Unlike our original couple, these swimmers are in peril not because of someone else's negligence, but due to their own stupidity. When three couples out on a yacht to celebrate one of their birthdays, they all slip into the water without first checking to be sure the ladder or a landing was put out so they can get back on. Add a baby left behind, and I still can't get too worked up about whether or not these idiots survive. The stupidity continues as each stage of further danger is only brought about by one moronic action after another. Finish it off with an ending that tries to be mysterious but only ends up being the idiot cherry on top of this idiot sundae.
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