Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 23rd, 2005
As is the trend for today, this is the Special Edition re-release of The Day After Tomorrow tagged as the All-Access Collector's Edition. As much of this set is the same as the original release, pieces of this review will be taken from our prior review of The Day After Tomorrow.
Storms both freakish and intense devastate the planet. Climatologist Dennis Quaid realizes that the world is on the brink of a sudden new ice age.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 23rd, 2005
Miracles is a unique television experience in the same vane as X-Files but with a religious rather then an alien spin. Many seem to blame this series short network run (6-episodes) on its misplacement and movement within ABC’s schedule, but there is also talk of the War in Iraq possible having something to do with it. As we all know… timing is everything. This set adds seven episodes to the six that originally aired on ABC… giving us all a chance to see the full 13 episodes that were filmed.
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 23rd, 2005
Continuing in the bold tradition of centering a movie around a place or event in the African American community (see The Wash, Barbershop and Beauty Shop, to name a few), Queen Latifah has decided to run the horse into the ground, and subsequently throw it over the coals, in a film she wrote and appears in, entitled The Cookout.
The concept of the film is simple enough that everyone can identify with it; cookouts are a good time where friends and family, sane and crazy, can get t...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 22nd, 2005
A cast that included Martin Sheen and Marlee Matlin made Hear No Evil appear promising. Sheen is too little used to be very effective, and Matlin’s acting is often overshadowed by a director too eager for use to experience her deafness. I always found that her strength was the power of her performance in spite of the handicap. This film goes to excessive lengths to remind us she is deaf, just in case we happen to miss the point. Often the soundtrack goes silent, apparently to portray the action from Matlin’s point of view.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 22nd, 2005
Assault on Precinct 13 is a remake of the 1976 John Carpenter classic (which is remake of the Howards Hawks western Rio Bravo). The plot scenario is something we've all seen before. Our heroes are holed up in an indoor arena (in this case, a precinct), trying to keep the outside forces at bay. In this case, the hero is Jake Roenick (played by Ethan Hawke). On New Year's Eve, and with the closing of the precinct looming, crimelord Bishop (played by Laurence Fishburne)is dumped off at the office. A s...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 21st, 2005
Pocahontas is Disney’s animated version of the Pocahontas myth. This movie is not history, but a Disney-fied version of it. European settlers came to North America and disrupted the Native American way of life. John Smith (voiced by Mel Gibson) and his British plunderers attempt to rob the “New World” of its riches. Chief Powhatan, and his daughter Pocahontas (voiced by Irene Bedard), might have something to say about this. In the end, in typical Disney fashion, a moral emerges: both cultures have a lot...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 21st, 2005
There’s nothing like a big Hollywood epic. And Martin Scorsese is the man to deliver. The Aviator is a tantalizing blend of Old Hollywood and modern filmmaking panache. The movie tells the story of Howard Hughes. He rose to fame as a Hollywood producer and aviator extraordinaire. Eventually, Hughes descended into a crippling OCD affliction. The movie gives us a taste of the tragedy to come, but doesn’t dwell on it. The Aviator is a thrilling ride into the world of a complicated man.
The...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 21st, 2005
Kinsey, starring Liam Neeson, is a film that seems more relevant today. Albert Kinsey, known to his students as Prok, had to fight societal conservatism to get his work published and recognized. The movie is part biography/part sociological study. The director/writer Bill Condon traces Kinsey’s life from early childhood to older age. The flaws of the film are a matter of narrative clarity: in two hours, Condon tries to pack too much in. However, Kinsey sports a strong cast, which makes the two hou...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 19th, 2005
Some sequels should not be made. I mean, was there any reason to have another Caddyshack? So who thought having a sequel to The Mask was a good idea. And not have Jim Carrey. Son of the Mask goes into the category of unnecessary sequels.
The premise is simple: the missing mask (which can give the wearer powers) is found floating in a stream by Otis, a dog. The dog takes it back to the Avery family. Tim Avery, a cartoonist, is played by Jamie Kennedy. The new mask gives him new powers,...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 18th, 2005
This is a review based on a screener copy.
Kelly Clarkson - Behind Hazel Eyes is a behind the scenes look at the former American Idol winner. The documentary format suits the work well. We get to see Kelly revisiting her old high school haunts, in the studio, and going camping with her girl friends (among other things). The portrait that emerges, or the portrait Kelly wants to have emerge (a slightly more cynical opinion), is of a young woman who hasn't lost touch with her "roots".
Right...
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