Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 10th, 2005
Synopsis
Frustrated by vicissitudes of Depression-era life, Dorothy wishes she were somewhere else. She gets her wish in ways she couldn’t have imagined, as a tornado drops her into the magical world of Oz. Accompanied by the brain-free Scarecrows, heartless Tin Man and cowardly Lion, she sets out on a quest to return home. In order to be granted that wish by the all-powerful Wizard, she must first defeat the Wicked Witch of the West.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 9th, 2005
Synopsis
Alain Delon is a cool-as-ice contract killer. After pulling off his latest contract, he is picked up by the police on suspicion, but is released for lack of evidence. The gangsters who hired him consider him a liability, however, and attempt to have him killed. He must now evade the police long enough to track down his killers before they get him.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 9th, 2005
The Mask of Zorro was the Pirates of the Caribbean of its day. A classic swashbuckling story packed with action and romance, yet still presented in a family-friendly style that hearkened back to the days of the old Saturday afternoon matinée. Indiana Jones was conceived in this style, as was Disney's National Treasure, in a way. There is a ton of room in the marketplace for PG and PG-13 rated films like this, as it provides something that the whole family can not only attend at the theater, but t...uly enjoy. I wish Hollywood made more films like this. Now, I certainly have a soft spot for the standard hard R flicks, but who doesn't love a good classic (mostly) wholesome adventure tale?
In addition to being the highlight of Antonio Banderas' questionable career, this film brought the movie-going world a wonderful gift in the package of Catherine Zeta-Jones. Michael Douglas will eternally be grateful for this inspired casting choice, as she became an instant superstar after her scene-stealing performances in this film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 8th, 2005
The first episode of Season 8 is appropriately titled “New Order”. Changes are inevitable as this superior series goes where no American sci-fi show has gone before, a tenth season. Richard Dean Anderson has been slowly removing himself from the everyday appearances since Season 7. Here he is made base commander, and while his responsibilities have increased, his screen time has certainly tumbled. By year 9 Anderson is nothing more than a memory and occasional guest star. Still... the huge changes haven’t come yet, and season 8 is your last chance to visit this core team on a regular basis. Even after 8 years, the quality of the show has never been better. We have a heavy dose of Replicators, Gou’ld, and Super Soldiers... Oh My. Carter is now a Lt. Col. and O’Neal is a Brig. Gen. The beginning of the season helps to set up the spin-off Atlantis series as Dr. Weir wraps up her time as base commander.
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 8th, 2005
Synopsis
A series of meteor strikes hits a small town in Australia, turning its citizens into ravening zombies. A handful of survivors gather in the home of a survivalist who has previously encountered zombie fish and been abducted by aliens. The fight to survive begins.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 7th, 2005
I actually picked this title up several months ago on DVD, so I was already aware of how funny this disc is. For some reason, Saturday Night Live is one of those shows that nobody finds funny until several years later, at which time its charm is rediscovered. I'm sure this has to do with the fact that the reruns and compilations cut out the majority of the filler and leave only the best bits, but I am, still surprised that the shows gets such little notariety during their initial run. Regardless, I have always been a big fan of this show, as it is one of the finest examples of the power of pure acting talent. It is simply amazing to see the level of skill that these performers bring to the table when the pressure is on and the broadcast goes live.
For my money, Will Ferrell is one of the top SNL performers of all time. There are few comedic actors that have been able to place as many characters and phrases into the everyday lexicon as Ferrell. One of the most wonderful things about watching him perform is that it is often times clear when he has intentionally strayed from the script to attempt to catch his fellow players off guard, a task that he usually succeeds at with hilarious results. Skits and characters such as Celebrity Jeopardy, the Spartan Cheerleaders, the Night at the Roxbury brothers and James Lipton are all here, and in the perfect format for the PSP. It is a cinch to watch one skit here and there throughout your day, and I guarantee that if you do, your whole day will be just that much brighter for it.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 7th, 2005
Synopsis
Things don’t get much more anodyne than this storyline, showcasing an impossibly idealized family and their trials of love and prize pigs as they travel to the eponymous event. This is strictly for the nostalgic and pure fans of Rodgers and Hammerstein (the songs generally are not as culturally engrained as those of Oklahoma!). There are two versions of the film here, and the 1945 take is easily the better of the two. The 1962 remake (and the third film by this name, a non-musical ver...ion having appeared in 1933) has Pat Boone in the lead (never a good sign) and is even more plastic. This version does, however, have Ann-Margaret pulling a bit of a show-stopper with her dance number.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 4th, 2005
Synopsis
You don’t really care about the plot, do you? Gordon MacRae is romancing famr girl Shirley Jones, but thuggish Rod Steiger also has designs on her. And so on. But it’s the songs that matter: “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “The Surrey with the Fringe On Top,” “I’m Just a Girl Who Can’t Say No.” And one could go on for much longer. The list is of tunes that one is familiar with without even knowing it, so completely have they permeated the mass consciousness. Fred Zinnemann’s film is handsome...and energetic without placing it in the same league as Singin’ in the Rain, and one might suspect that there is a touch too much attention paid to the technical, spectacle side of things, something that is reflected in the extras, but more on that below.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 3rd, 2005
Synopsis
Jennifer (Cheryl Dent) has just been released from a mental institution where she was incarcerated after a psychotic episode during which she clawed out the eyes of her co-star during the shooting of a porn flick. After being waylaid in the desert by a couple of thugs, she is rescued by a group of flower children, who soon turn out to be more dangerous yet. They head to house with a bad reputation, and then the murderous hippies start being killed off one by one. By Jennifer, or by something...else?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 3rd, 2005
The extras are the only significant difference between the Collector’s Edition and the near barebones first release of this film. Therefore, some pieces of this review will be taken from the standard release review.
If ever there was a film that was badly misunderstood it is Star Trek: Nemesis. The most common complaint I’ve heard is it was too much like an episode. Excuse me, but isn’t it supposed to be? Nemesis has everything a good Star Trek film should have. The character chemistry, space battle, a morality tale, and terrific f/x. If the film suffers at all it is from poor editing, as the collection of deleted scenes clearly shows (more on that in the special features section). As many politicians are fond of saying, “mistakes were made,” but this is a far better film than the critics or fans have given it credit for being. It deserves a second look and this 2 disc release is the perfect opportunity to revisit Star Trek: Nemesis.
