Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 27th, 2005
Fascination is a potboiler without a pot. It loosely follows the plot of Hamlet. Adam Garcia plays Scott Doherty, a spoiled young artiste who sulks more than Anakin Skywalker. Scott's father dies (played by James Naughton) under mysterious circumstances, and his wife (played by the "still a hotty" Jacqueline Bisset") returns from a cruise with a new beau (Stuart Wilson). Scott smells something fishy, and with the help of a new stepsister/lover (Alice Evans), he tries to get to the bottom of this crime. So...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 27th, 2005
Synopsis
Little Tim is convinced the boogeyman is in his closet. He’s right, and it gobbles up his dad.Fifteen years later, after many years of therapy devoted to convincing him that he didn’t reallysee a monster that night, Tim (Barry Watson) is still afraid of closets and is haunted by terrifyingvisions. When his mother dies, he returns to his home town for the funeral, and decides to stay atthe old house in order to confront his demons. Big mistake.
The basic set-up is no...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 27th, 2005
Synopsis
Jimmy Wang Yu is trying to scrape together the cash for his sister’s eye operation, but hekeeps getting involved in fights, and the need to pay fines and whatnot is actually pushing thefamily towards bankruptcy. Meanwhile, in Japan, a ferocious grandmother has been training herthree grandsons their entire life to be killing machines intent on taking revenge on the man sheblames for her wartime suicides of her daughter and son-in-law. That man is Jimmy’s father. Thestage is ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 27th, 2005
Synopsis
Irritable, repressed Sylvia Stickles (Tracy Ullman) is conked on the head, and the concussiontransforms her into a sexual dynamo, one of the followers of sexual healer and prophet Ray-Ray(Johnny Knoxville). The streets of Baltimore are the battleground of a culture war between theanti-sex Neuters, led by Sylvia’s mother-in-law Big Ethel, and the forces of the polymorphouslyperverse. The result is a little bit like a George Romero zombie movie, where getting headingthe bonked transf...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 27th, 2005
I used to watch Moonlighting in the 80's. Back then, I thought it was so fresh and funny. The crackling dialogue, the rapid fire pace, the screwball comedy chemistry between the two leads. There was also mystery to boot. I loved it. Is still as fresh and funny? Is the show as good as I remember it being? I mean, ourmemories rarely hold up to reality. Watching this box set in 2005 was quite an experience. Does the show hold up? Yes and no. It feels atad "dated" (but what show from the 80's doesn't...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 25th, 2005
Much like previous con films before it like Matchstick Men and The Grifters, Criminal tells the story of a veteran taking a young inexperienced rookie under his wing and showing him the tricks behind the money, and the con artist philosophy.
Based on the Argentinean film Nine Queens, Richard (John C. Reilly, Magnolia) spots Rodrigo (Diego Luna, The Terminal) trying to hustle drink money in a club. He hustles Rodrigo out, and discovers Rodrigo is doing this to earn m...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 25th, 2005
East Meets West
I don’t know a great deal about Korean cinema, but I imagine that H must have been a milestone in the Korean film industry – a distinctly Korean interpretation of a Western tradition. H is a dark psychological murder mystery, thriller, and suspense film, best compared to The Silence of the Lambs, or Kiss the Girls - not what one expects from the other side of the Pacific. There’s no martial arts to be found, and no running through trees, and pseudo-mystical mum...
Posted in: News and Opinions by Archive Authors on May 24th, 2005
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher comedy Guess Who on August 2nd. This disc will be presented in an anamorphic widescreen transfer, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. Extras will include an audio commentary (with director Kevin Rodney Sullivan), a gag reel, deleted scenes (with optional director commentary), a "Love is the Melody: The Making of GUESS WHO" featurette, & a collection of trailers.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 24th, 2005
White Noise borrows much from the successful cycle of modern horror films. There is a tremendous likeness to both The Ring and FearDotCom. The use of a television screen for eerie f/x and a few shocks reminds us of the former, while the torture of the kidnapped victim in industrial and dank surroundings is taken right out of the latter. White Noise has some wonderfully disturbing moments. The atmosphere is rank with just enough possibility to be truly scary at times. Michael Keaton adds that element of respectability and believability which carries a weak script much farther than it deserves. I should also point out that the cinematography is simply brilliant.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 24th, 2005
Samaritan Girl is a provactive little film from South Korea. The director, Kim Ki-Duk, has been said to be a filmmaker to watch. The plot surrounds the plight of two teenage girls, Jae-young (played by Min-jeong Seo) and Yoe-Jin (played by Ji-min Kwak). These two friends have dreams of going to Europe. The only problem: they need money. What's the solution: the oldest profession. Jae-Young becomes the prostitute and Yoe-jin is the pimp. Sounds a little twisted. Well...tragedy strikes. And Yoe-Jin devo...







