Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 2nd, 2010
"In December 2005 a tragic accident began a series of extraordinary events that thrust a grieving family and the small Victorian town of Ararat into the media spotlight. This film is a record of those events."
How many movies over the last 10 years have started with that line? It scares me right from the jump, but not in a good way, when I realize I'm about to watch another "found footage" or "real event" film.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 31st, 2010
"Maybe I'm not being clear enough. Maybe I need to be honest with you and tell you what I want. I want your soul to open up for me."
Clive Barker's name has been synonymous with horror for quite a long time. Along with Steven King, there is likely not another name out there that has been responsible for so much written terror. His stories have sold hundreds of millions of copies and inspired many films and television projects. He's been called the modern Edgar Allan Poe, and when you witness something so frightening at its very base as Dread happens to be, it isn't hard to understand how he came by that kind of a reputation.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 30th, 2010
This series from Comedy Central began as a low budget film hosting show in a small television station in Minnesota. It was the brainchild of Joel Hodgson. It ended up running for 11 years and a feature film version.
Mystery Science Theatre is an acquired taste. For me, I’ve really got to be in that certain mood to watch it. That’s the beauty of these DVDs. You pop them in when you’re ready. The idea is pretty whacked. Depending on the season you’ve got, Joel or Mike is trapped in space on the “Satellite of Love”. Doomed to spend his life watching very bad films,
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on March 29th, 2010
My dad was an ex-Vietnam officer, 1st lieutenant in the United States Army. He gave a lot for his country but never forced me towards any military service. He wanted me to focus more on my studies and make sure I got a proper education. I don’t think I could comprehend what my father or any military personnel in a war situation goes through. However, with the dramatization in Brothers, I can see on some level the horror that some of our fine soldiers have to live with.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 27th, 2010
When people reminisce about the great match-ups of all time, talk will inevitably hone in on Ali vs. Frazier, Tunney vs. Dempsey, or, for boxing non-enthusiasts, Eckersley vs. Gibson. For film fans, talk will likely drift to Godzilla vs. Mothra, McClane vs. Gruber, or even Feddy vs. Jason. Well folks, a new movie has thrown its hat into the ring, and it is called Carny. What potentially legendary match-up does Carny feature, you ask? Why, nothing less than Lou Diamond Phillips vs. the Jersey Devil. Will these two foes unseat any of the classic brawlers mentioned above? Read on and see.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 25th, 2010
"It killed 102 people, brutally mauling its human prey. Its victims are all women and children. The worst attack by an unknown beast in history; and, the basis for the legend of the werewolf. Two investigators set out to solve the mystery. Applying modern day forensics, they hunt to uncover the real wolf man."
With the Universal remake of one of its classic monsters you can expect to see a lot of related material come out of the woodwork to capitalize on the buzz. Unfortunately, the remake of The Wolf Man pretty much tanked, plagued more by too many internal problems than the full moon. Still, the legends and stories are out there, and it might be fun to check some of this stuff out.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Michael Durr on March 22nd, 2010
If you know me, you probably know that I don’t exactly exhibit small town values. I grew up in the suburbs, went to a state college and have worked in major cities such as Dallas & Houston. However, for the last ten years, I have lived somewhere in Brazoria County (small town haven) and I currently reside in West Columbia, Tx which has a population of around 4,000 people. Would Good Intentions be an accurate portrayal of small town southern life or more stereotypical mayhem?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 20th, 2010
Cult Epics here presents us with their second box set of films by ex-pat Spanish surrealist/'pataphysician/provocateur Fernando Arrabal. These are more recent works, and are, arguably, even more of an acquired taste than the earlier set, though not necessarily for the reasons one might think.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by William O'Donnell on March 19th, 2010
Wild Ocean was originally designed as a 3D IMAX experience. Though the production has been pared down to a humbler 2D widescreen, it still is effective as a well-made film that documents the Sardine Run in South Africa, where the migration of millions of Sardines makes for both feeding frenzies of ocean predators, and a wild festival of fishing for various townspeople.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 18th, 2010
In the realm of family sitcoms, My Two Dads is sort of ahead of its time. While sitcoms today break stereotypes with ethnic and racial diversity, this show was the first to cover same-sex parenting. Premiering the same year as the film Three Men and a Little Baby, this Michael Jacobs (Boy Meets World) creation chronicles the struggles of two single, hetero fathers (Mad About You’s Paul Reiser and B.J and the Bear’s Greg Evigan) sharing custody of their teenage daughter, Step By Step’s Staci Keanan. Financial advisor Michael (Reiser) is the more conservative of the two; Joey (Evigan) is the artistic lothario.
