Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 27th, 2003
Synopsis
Harrison Ford first appears with slicked-back hair (now oddly, but not inappropriately,reminiscent of Christian Bale’s look in American Psycho) as a top-flight lawyer andworld-class SOB, inconsiderate toward his wife and daughter. Then he’s shot in the head.Recovery is long and slow, and he has lost his memory. As he returns to his life, he is now amuch nicer person, and discovers that he doesn’t like the man he used to be. Director MikeNichols and writer Jeffrey Abr...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 26th, 2003
Synopsis
Gavin Heffernan is told by best pal Erin Simkin that she is pregnant, and that the child is his.Convinced that he hears destiny calling, Heffernan drives Simkin to Montreal for an evening out,intending to propose. He’s right about destiny being just around the corner, but it doesn’ttake the form he thought. Stopping in a convenience store to pick up some stomach medicine forSimkin, he gets caught by a robbery, and his engagement ring is stolen. So is a bag that belongsto Janet Lane...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 25th, 2003
Synopsis
Guy Pearce leads a gang of three bank-robber brothers. They’re very good at what they do,and they take great pride in the fact that no one has ever been hurt during one of their jobs.Released from prison, they stage another heist in partnership with their lawyer and some crookedcops. What they don’t know is that their lawyer is sleeping with Pearce’s wife (the incendiaryRachel Griffiths), and he has them sent back to prison, only to spring them once again for aneven bigger ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 24th, 2003
Synopsis
Jon Abrahams plays Lenny Burroughs. He’s about to get married and, to his fiancee’schagrin, continues to earn money by driving mob guy Peter Greene around. On this particularday, what he thinks is a simple errand turns out not to be when Greene kidnaps top mobster JeffBridges, the promptly gets himself killed. A terrified Abrahams holes up in his van with Bridgesat gunpoint, while the mysterious currents of the mob war play out around him. The cast is quiteimpressive (add M...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 24th, 2003
Who would have thought that a Lego animated film would be so cool? This CGI animated feature film, Lego’s first venture into a mainstream feature-length movie, is great for all ages; it contains an interesting story line, good characters, and amazing animation. If you have not been privy to the past stories of Bionicle, you should really jump in and explore Mask Of Light…
”Discover the latest chapter in this legendary story in an all-new CGI animated movie. It's nonstop action as Jaller and his bes...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 23rd, 2003
If you like to nitpick the “that couldn’t happen” stuff in a sci-fi film, this is not the movie for you. The only thing you’ll get out of The Core is a ride. The plot is completely absurd and unlike the very similar Armageddon, this film doesn’t deliver near the action. Special effects range from quite cool to the obvious animations and matte paintings. What impresses me most is that the cast got through this with a straight face. The Core deservedly didn’t perform well at the box office but it is still worth a watch.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 23rd, 2003
Synopsis
In Troll (**), a family headed up by Michael Moriarty and Shelley Hack move intotheir new apartment. Unfortunately the young daughter is kidnapped and impersonated by a troll,who goes about turning the other residents into greenery or fairy creatures. Among thosesuffering this fate are Sonny Bono and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, who can't have been too happy tohave this hunk of cheese lurking on their CVs. Mediocre as Troll is, it does at least havefairly high ambiti...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 23rd, 2003
Synopsis
A terrible virus called Rage (which just happens to be the French word for rabies, thatdistinctly English fear) gets loose and ravages the population of Britain. 28 days after the initialrelease, Cilian Murphy wakes up in a deserted hospital. He wanders around empty London,wondering where everyone has gone, until, come night, he is attacked by a horde of the infected,who move like George Romero zombies on speed. He is rescued by Naomie Harris, and togetherthey then hook up ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 23rd, 2003
Synopsis
Meryl Streep copped another Oscar nomination for her performance as Karen Silkwood, low-level employee at an Oklahoma nuclear power plant. She is driven to activism once she realizeshow her life and those of her fellow employees are being endangered by the shoddy safetystandards. Streep is backed up by fine performances from Kurt Russell and Cher, but Nicholstakes his own sweet time with the direction.
Audio
A mono soundtrack, and this is a film fro...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 22nd, 2003
Please do not confuse this Hallmark made for TV film with the wonderful Tim Burton film of the same year. They have about as much in common with each other as either does with the classic Washington Irving story. The only good thing I can say about the film is that Brent Carver’s Ichabod Crane is a spectacular performance. Carver reminds me a great deal of the late and great Roddy McDowall. He shares his overall appearance as well as certain characteristic mannerisms and speech inflections with McDowall.
