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DVD

Amar Te Duele

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 31st, 2007

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Romeo and Juliet is a classic tale that has been told and re-told over and over again. It is generally accepted that the definitive film version of Shakespeare’s story of lovers’ twisted fate is the 1968 version by Italian director Franco Zeffirelli. Rather than attempt to best this effort, more recent film adaptations have decided to modernize the story. Baz Luhrmann tackled it with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio using all the original dialog, but ultra modern wardrobe, sets and music. While some critics myself included) fell in love with this fast paced adaptation, others were appalled.
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Step Up (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 30th, 2007

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This could be my shortest film review ever: watch Step Up for the dancing – the rest is a formulaic bunch of “whatever”.

But since you’re reading, here’s a little more. Like Save The Last Dance, Step Up is a teen dance/romance movie. The story follows Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum), a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, and Nora Clark (Jenna Dewan), a privileged ballet student attending a prestigious school for the arts.
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Flags of our Fathers

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 30th, 2007

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Synopsis

Of all the recent multi-film director stories that have been told in recent years, not too many have been as, well, historical, as Clint Eastwood’s two part telling of the battle at the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. The battle over a key stretch of property in World War II cost thousands of lives, but never seemed to get a proper cinematic treatment as many of the European theater battles have. Regardless, in Letters From Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers, Eastwood has given the world …
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Bandidas

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 30th, 2007

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Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek are buddies in real life, so it makes sense for the two of them to show up in a film together. I was a little surprised to find this disc on my doorstep, however, having totally missed its existence during its theatrical release. It is a good reminder of how much a movie’s success is driven by marketing. Clearly, this is one of those films that the studio wasn’t happy with, so they cut their losses and quietly put the film into select theaters underneath the radar.

It’s a shame, …
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The Grudge 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 29th, 2007

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Amber Tamblyn, playing Sarah Michelle Gellar’s sister, comes to Tokyo to help Gellar, currently in a hospital and considered insane. The help is too little too late, and soon Tamblyn is contending with the same evil ghosts. Two other storylines intertwine with this one: a young American student goes into the evil house on a dare, and she and her two friends attract the unwelcome attentions of the spectral mother and son. And back in the States, a blended family moving into a new apartment is gradually torn apart by the influence of the malevolent duo.

The Marine

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 29th, 2007

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John Cena is The Marine. Though, as matters develop, The Maroon might be a better handle. At any rate, after being discharged for having Disobeyed a Direct Order in Iraq (where, in a scene distinctly reminiscent of the opening of The Naked Gun, our boy shoots up one of those elusive Al-Qaeda training camps that nobody else seems to be able to find). Readjustment to civilian life is difficult, but then, while heading out for a little holiday with his wife (Kelly Carlson), an unfortunate stop at a gas station results in Carlson being abducted by a violent gang of jewel thieves headed up by Robert Patrick (who comes across, as was pointed out to me, like the love child of Martin Sheen and Chandler Bing).
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Running With Scissors (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 29th, 2007

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Based on Augusten Burroughsï¿½ popular biographical memoir of the same name, Running With Scissors is a dark, comedic tale of surviving a bizarre and painful childhood.

The film covers Augustenï¿½s life mostly from about age 12 to 16. Part of what makes this film intriguing is that itï¿½s so outlandish that viewers can hardly anticipate events before they happen, so I will attempt to avoid spoiling it all in this review. With that in mind, hereï¿½s my very high-level plot summary: Augustenï¿½s parentsï¿½ relatio…
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Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 28th, 2007

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The relationship between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor appeared to blossom when they were both on the set of Cleopatra. The epic film was famous, not for the success of the film but more for the near bankruptcy of the studio and for the romance that blossomed between the two. Warner Brothers has recently been releasing groups of films surrounding various film icons, and this set of four titles focuses on the two acting giants.
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Extras – The Complete First Season

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 28th, 2007

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The only thing I knew about Extras as of a couple of weeks ago was that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant were behind the show, the follow-up to their cult hit The Office, which has been adapted into a Steve Carell vehicle to showcase his talent. Seeing very little on The Office and not being familiar with Gervais’ work, I downloaded the first episode of the second season of Extras from iTunes (Season Two recently resumed airing on HBO), and I found it one of the funnier things I’ve seen in recent memory, and not just because it didn’t cost me anything.
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Gridiron Gang (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 25th, 2007

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The Rock ï¿½ sorry, Dwayne Johnson ï¿½ sure has come a long way from his melodramatic days as a WWE superstar. His first major film role, as the Scorpion King in 2001ï¿½s The Mummy Returns was more about his physical presence than any acting ability. Two years later, he proved he could handle action comedy with The Rundown. Now, with Gridiron Giants, Johnson has added the drama notch to his genre belt.

The film, based on a true story and following a 1993 TV documentary of the same name, tells…
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Oh! What a Lovely War

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 21st, 2007

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For all the talk about a film being “just as relevant now as when it was released”, Oh! What a Lovely War seems to fit that bill more than a lot of movies I’ve seen recently. From a screenplay by Len Deighton and directed by a first-time director (but longtime actor) in Richard Attenborough (Jurassic Park), the film may be a daunting endeavor for some to see, probably because it’s a film that’s two and a half hours long and contains a lot of songs.

It also contains a lot of dialogue, and both the songs and dialogue were from the period.
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Color of the Cross

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 21st, 2007

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Back in late 2006 there was a minor to-do about a film depicting the last days of Jesus, except that Jesus was played by a black man. Written and directed by Jean-Claude La Marre, Color of the Cross tries to do what it can to tell the tale of this black Jesus, or be-jeezus if you will.

The film, like others covering the last two days of his life, follows Jesus as he performs the Last Supper, gets betrayed by Judas and the other stuff. While in town, many Jews are trying to celebrate Passover without being abused or persecuted by the Romans, so they celebrate in secret.
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The Librarian – Return to King Solomon’s Mines

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 19th, 2007

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The only thing I really knew about The Librarian was that Noah Wyle, previously known for his work in ER was playing in some goofy looking film, and the making of this film was getting in the way of whatever theatrical film I was watching from August-October. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was more than just a goofy little film, that it was the second in a presumed series, and hey, it’s not all that much about a library at all!
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Factotum

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 19th, 2007

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Back in 1979 (that’s a whole generation ago, kids!) Matt Dillon was appearing in films that would make the average reader of Tiger Beat swoon. He was in plenty of material like Little Darlings, Rumble Fish and The Outsiders that didn’t help that idea too much in the eyes of his female fans (of which there are scores). But since the early ’80s, he’s gone through a bit of a rediscovery, and in the film Factotum, based on the works of author Charles Bukowski, he may have hit his best stride to date.
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Walt Disney Treasures: The Complete Pluto Volume Two

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 18th, 2007

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This is the second volume of Pluto cartoons, here going from 1947 to the end of the series in 1951. The neat thing about these themed collections in the Wald Disney Treasures series is that they highlight particular strengths in Disney’s animation. Thus, if the Silly Symphonies sets focus on the marriage of movement with music, the Pluto cartoons are wonders of pantomime, since the central character doesn’t speak. Pluto is not a jot less communicative for not using words, however, and the sight gags involved in some of his facial expressions (such as when wearing the unwanted “Pluto’s Sweater”) are priceless.
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A Dead Calling

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 18th, 2007

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Alexandra Holden is a big-time TV reporter who is traumatized when an intruder breaks into her home and kills her fiancé. (Does this set-up remind anyone of The Howling?) She retreats to her old home-town, moves back with her parents (Sid Haig and Leslie Easterbrook!) and starts work at a local TV station. Her first assignment takes her to a house where murders took place years ago, and she promptly has visions of ghosts and the murders, and she feels she is being called on to provide justice for the ghosts.
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Invincible (2006)

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 17th, 2007

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Invincible (2006) marks the latest in a string of sports-underdog films from Disney, following such hits as 2002’s The Rookie and 2004’s Miracle. This time, we have a film inspired by the real-life Cinderella story of Philadelphia Eagles’ alumnus Vince Papale.

Papale’s story is so similar to that of fictional Philadelphia son, Rocky Balboa, that calling Invincible a remake of Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky isn’t much of a stretch. But then, the sports long-shot genre is tried and true, so as far as my enjoyment goes, I have few issues with this film’s formulaic plot.
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Def Comedy Jam Classics: Martin Lawrence

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 16th, 2007

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Def Comedy Jam Classics: Martin Lawrence contains a few hearty laughs in between heaps of “f-this, f-that, f-to the point where it is no longer a curse word and becomes simply an overused adjective” and sexually explicit material. Many of the comedians featured on this disc seem to be delivering material purely for shock value before an audience that does their best to encourage. As a result, most of the comedy lacks a genuine feel, and that includes the offerings we get from Mr. Lawrence himself. That’s n…
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The Celestine Prophecy

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 16th, 2007

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Halfway through The Celestine Prophecy, I was exasperated and ready to turn it off. If I hadn’t been watching it for this review, I would have, and would have been better for it.

When this DVD came across my plate, my interest was piqued. I’d never heard of the film, or the worldwide bestselling book it’s based on, and the cover quote said, “…a huge leap forward in spiritual adventure films.” My first thoughts were, “if it’s based on a bestseller, maybe it has a great script” and “hey, I didn’t even know there was a spiritual adventure genre”.
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Who Made the Potatoe Salad?

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 15th, 2007

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Jaleel White continues to flounder about aimlessly looking for a post-Family Matters career in Who Made the Potatoe Salad?, a mindless 90-minute excursion into the offensively cliched family comedy. Looking for laughs in all the wrong places, this effort from writer-director Damon “Coke” Daniels tries to cash in on every dirty race-driven joke it can think of without once pausing for a breath of originality. White plays, of all things, a police officer, who decides the time is right to move his relati…
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Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies, Volume Two (1929-1938)

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2007

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Warner Bros. had the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, Disney had the Silly Symphonies. This is the second volume collecting those shorts, covering the years 1929 to 1938. The shorts are selected on a menu that can be presented in alphabetical or chronological order, and it is the latter approach that is the most enlightening, as we can see the cartoons evolve. There is no dialogue in these shorts – the point was to fuse animation and music. And while that is an end in itself in the earlier cartoons (and quite the technological feat at that), more and more narrative content develops over the years.
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SpongeBob SquarePants – Season 4, Volume 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2007

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The zaniness continues in Bikini Bottom, and the series shows no sign of losing its appeal or its lunatic creativity. Wonderful little example: “Whale of a Birthday” is about Mr. Krabbs’ daughter’s sixteenth birthday. The highlight: a performance by “Boys Who Cry” singing “It’s All About You.” Perfect. There are twenty episodes here to keep your funny and whimsy bones tickled. (What, you don’t think you have a whimsy bone? Of course you do.)

Fiddler on the Roof

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 15th, 2007

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Adapted from the hit stage musical, Norman Jewison’s film version of Fiddler on the Roof has established itself as a classic over and over again since its release in 1971.

“He loves her. Love, it’s a new style… On the other hand, our old ways were once new, weren’t they?” I’ll hardly be the first to write it, but the reason Fiddler on the Roof, a story about Jewish people and their culture, is so popular, is that its themes have universal appeal. In fact, in a way it hardly matters th…
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1900

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 13th, 2007

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Bernardo Bertolucci is no stranger to controversy. His Last Tango In Paris caused quite a bit of noise when it was released. Novecento, as 1900 is known in its original Italian, has been a subject of controversy for decades. Since its 1976 original Italian release, American studios have been cautious about releasing the film in the states, at least as it was originally intended. First there is the running time. The film clocks in at over 5 hours. Theaters in the US face fierce competition for movie goers’ dollars.
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Snakes on a Plane

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 13th, 2007

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Let me tell you something about myself. I am surrounded by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of snakes every day. As I write this review, there are about 500 snakes just a couple hundred feet away. I’m not on a plane, of course, but snakes are a big part of my life. I’m a snake breeder. I’m also a musician who has just released an entire CD of reptile tracks (see footnote). So it was with more than the little bit of curiosity that I just had to see this film. I knew everybody would be asking me what I thought. So what did I think?
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