Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 29th, 2005
Synopsis
Olivia de Havilland is recovering from a broken hip, and uses a home elevator to get to thesecond floor of her very big house. One this particular sweltering day, her smothered son drivesoff, accidentally bumping a electric pole with is car, and cutting off the power to the house justas the elevator is reaching the upper floor. De Havilland is trapped in a cage, suspended a goodfifteen feet off the floor. Then a wino discovers her predicament, and helps himself to some ofhe...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 29th, 2005
Synopsis
The Rugrats extend their pop culture empire with this TV series, where the kids are now inearly adolescence. The central story here involves a trip to summer camp, with all the usualassortment of spooky plot elements (combined with the fact that one of our heroes is trying tomake a horror movie). There are also two other episodes. No one is going to compare the level ofwit on display with The Simpsons or The Family Guy, but I’ve seen worse. Muchworse.
Aud...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 29th, 2005
Synopsis
Director Joel Gilbert, who could charitably be said to be obsessed with Bob Dylan (he playsthe Dylan role in the Highway 61 tribute band, whose performances provide the film’ssoundtrack), travels about, visiting places and people that had something to do with this period ofDylan’s career (or at least something to do with chronicling it). The primary focus isphotographer Barry Feinstein, and plenty of his pictures are on display here. Part history, partpersonal odyssey, this...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 28th, 2005
What better a place to bring a city’s resurgence than Miami? The area would arguably look different if there was a different TV show that sparked a commerical revival. With Michael Mann in the producer’s chair, along with producing partner Anthony Yerkovich (whose only other cop drama he produced was Hill Street Blues), the flashy cop drama was the reason why a lot of people decided to stay home on Friday nights.
In terms of episode content, there was a lot of formulaic cop drama things, and the usua...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 28th, 2005
Good Times is one of several shows from the 1970’s to trace its origins back to All In The Family. Florida was the maid to Maude, Edith’s cousin, who also got her own show. It wasn’t very long before Good Times became the Jimmie Walker show. His ghetto witisms and trademark “Dyn-o-Mite” exclamation took any attention from the other cast members. In the Fourth season John Amos left the show and his character, James, was killed in an accident. Esther Rolle would also depart for a time after this season. It’s no surprise that JJ’s role was beginning to increase and perhaps peaked here in Season Four.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 28th, 2005
This PBS documentary on the White House was made in 2001 to coincide with the Bicentennial of the mansion’s construction. I’m a student of the presidency, so I can’t say that I learned anything new here. I do believe most folks will walk away with some renewed interest in one of the icons of American government. Many celebrities, including Sam Waterson, Avery Brooks, and Robert Prosky, read actual letters from presidents and first ladies dealing with the White House. The film makes generous use of period photographs and paintings to depict the various stages of the building’s development into the modern version we are so familiar with today.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 28th, 2005
The Monterey Pop Festival has been mostly ignored by a lot of people, compared to the two other two large concerts that occurred after it, Woodstock, and Altamont. Those who do remember Monterey always mention the one incident it is most known for, Jimi Hendrix’ appearance on the U.S. stage. Jimi had been tearing it up in England, and he ended by setting his guitar on fire, which turned out to be a defining moment in music history. Criterion brings this event and others back to life in a comprehensive 3 disc set which is designed not only to showcase Jimi’s set during the show, but also breathes new life into the festival in general.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 28th, 2005
The sophomore effort of Wes Anderson, Rushmore brings together a 15 year old who flunked out of private school, and a steel tycoon in his 40s, and shows the lengths that people go to sometimes to try and win the heart of the one they love.
That would be too easy an effort, wouldn’t it? Well, Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman, I Heart Huckabees) is attending Rushmore Academy on scholarship, and he loves Rushmore. So much so, that he creates a club for just about everything that hasn’t had an esta...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 25th, 2005
Synopsis
The scene is Mexico, and the time is now, though it might as well be the 19th Century. A richlandowner’s daughter is pregnant, and her father goes as far as breaking her bones to find outwho the father is. He then demands the man’s head. Squads of minions fan out over Mexico.Two (Gig Young and Robert Webber) happen upon Warren Oates, who know the man they’relooking for. When Oates finds out that Garcia is already dead, he smells easy money, and salliesfor with girlfriend Is...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 23rd, 2005
Synopsis
Lynda Carter is Wonder Woman, the Amazon from Paradise Island who dons large glassesto disguise herself as Diana Prince, secretary in the war department during WWII. Love interestis Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner), and together the two battle one Nazi plot after another.The pilot sees the arrival of Wonder Woman in the US, and thereafter we have such adventuresas the Nazis seeking Paradise Island and the mysterious element Feminum (groan) that gives ourheroine her powers...
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