Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 21st, 2003
Synopsis
Welcome to North Bath, New York, a small town where everyone knows everyone, and thebest-known figure is Sully (Paul Newman). His landlady (Jessica Tandy) is his former 8th-gradeteacher. He works off and on for Bruce Willis, and while the two men appear to hate each other,they also weirdly look after each other. Newman flirts shamelessly with Willis’ neglected wife(Melanie Griffith). Newman walked out on his own family many years ago, but during theChristmas season his son ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 20th, 2003
Synopsis
Kati and Steffi are best friends, and each relies on the other to get through the trials andtribulations of high school. Challenges arise, such as when they discover [x]'s father is cheatingon her mother. They plot an elaborate revenge. Boy trouble also figures prominently, of course,as these two girls painfully reach toward adulthood.
Audio
The sound is first-class. The music has good, pumping energy in its mix. The dialogue isclear and distortion-...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 20th, 2003
Synopsis
Keith Carradine plays an independent director who has come to Cannes, hoping to sell hismovie (to which he has devoted two years of his life). French Customs seizes the film and won'tlet him bring it into the country. He is helped out by Monica Vitti, wife of a powerful Italianproducer. Before long Carradine and Vitti are in each other's arms. While we are constantlyaware of Vitti's guilt and worry about cheating on her husband, all references to Carradine'sgirlfriend back ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 20th, 2003
Synopsis
Catherine Keener and Emily Mortimer are the neurotic daughters inevitably produced bytheir neurotic mother Brenda Blethyn. Keener is trying (unsuccessfully) to sell her art (tiny chairsmade of twigs). Mortimer is a desperately insecure actor. Blethyn is about to undergo liposuction,which isn't going to help with the body image of her young, African-American adopted daughter.All the men these women are involved with are jerks, but Keener's life takes an unexpected turnwhen, ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 18th, 2003
Synopsis
This comic-yet-scathing documentary begins as an autobiography, as Michael Moorerecounts his formative years in Flint, Michigan, accompanied by all kinds of amusing stockfootage. From here we segue to the closing of GM's Flint plants, a move that devastated thetown. Moore begins a quixotic quest to confrong Roger Smith, the head of General Motors, andalong the way winds up in all kinds of amusing (yet revelatory) situations. He also meets manycolourful characters in his hom...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 18th, 2003
Synopsis
Terminal loser William H. Macy hatches a scheme to get out of his debt problems: hire SteveBuscemi and Peter Stormare to kidnap his wife, then get the ransom from his father-in-law.Naturally enough, everything goes spectacularly wrong. Bodies pile up, and hugely pregnantSheriff Frances McDormand investigates. All the elements of prime Coen work are present:wonderful character turns from a top cast, dialogue to die for, cinematography that will take yourbreath away, and a sc...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 17th, 2003
Synopsis
Following the death of a legendary folk music impresario, his son organizes a tribute concertwith the acts the father made famous. Through interviews and rehearsals, we see the groups (TheFolksmen, Mitch and Mickey, and The New Main Street Singers) prepare for the big show. Thecast is talented and funny, and the music is a well-nigh perfect pastiche. The creative team seemsa bit too close to the music, however, and so the comedy lacks the bite it could have. The wholeprotes...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 17th, 2003
You can pretty much guess a film’s in trouble when it begins with an ominous narrative that ends with: “The following could be a true story”. Deadly Invasion starts slow and gets dull from there. This was a 1995 TV film about killer bees. Weren’t we over that story in the 1970’s? The plot is predictable at every turn. This might not be all that bad if not for below B grade acting and cinematography. I’m more afraid of having to watch this film again than of killer bees.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 17th, 2003
With seemingly every TV show coming out on DVD as of late you know it was only a matter of time before MTV jumped on the bandwagon. Cribs is one of their longest running series and this discs looks at the homes of 8 different rockers and one of their own VJ’s. Follow along as we venture in to the living quarters of Incubus, Tommy Lee, Rob Zombie, Fieldy (the bass player for Korn), Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker of Blink 182, Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach) and MTV VJ Ian Robinson.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 16th, 2003
Synopsis
The plot to both features is rather similar, in each case serving to set up a bunch of mini-movies loaded with tributes and/or parodies of classic cinema monsters. In the first film, amysterious wax museum, presided over by David Warner, appears in town, and a group of teensill-advisedly wander in. Step too near an exhibit, and you wind up in the world depicted, upagainst a werewolf, the mummy, vampires, and so on. In the sequel, Zach Galligan (hero of thefirst) and his gir...
