Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 27th, 2003
Harrison Ford is the top selling actor in Hollywood these days. He owes this distinction in no small part to a couple of trilogies he did early in his career. While Star Wars might have been a chance for Ford to break out, Raiders of the Lost Ark and its sequels defined his abilities. Indiana Jones is the perfect hero. He’s strong, intelligent, and above all moral. Unlike the stereotypical hero Jones is also vulnerable and at times flawed. Credit Steven Spielberg for the iconic stature Indy occupies today. Left to his own devices, George Lucas would have given us Tom Selleck as the cigarette-smoking morally bankrupt Indiana Smith.
Raiders of the Lost Ark brought back the cinematic tradition of the 2-reel serials. These shorts would combine with a newsreel, a cartoon, and a feature film to provide a splendid moviegoing event in the early days of talkies. To those of us too young to remember them, the Indiana Jones saga is a time machine to a much simpler day of good guys and bad guys. While even Spielberg himself admits that Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom was inferior to the rest of the trilogy, even this weaker film provided a historic filmmaking moment. Because of its dark nature and gore elements the film did not fit neatly into the PG rating. The filmmakers did not want this “family” adventure labeled with R, so the ensuing conflict brought us PG-13, now the most widely used rating on films. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade dared to show us a much more vulnerable hero with the addition of his father. The relationship is a complicated one, but a relationship every father and son can instantly recognize and relate to. Right Dad?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 26th, 2003
Revenge is the theme of what many people consider H.G. Clouzot’s finest film, the 1955 thriller “Diabolique”. This is the story of two women who want to kill the same man. One is his kind and gentle wife, and the other is his attractive but hard-hearted mistress. The two work together to end his life, devising a plan that comes to fruition surprisingly early in the film. What initially appears to be a film about the plotting of a murder turns into a film about something else… something more sinister and unexpected. A... the two realize that the man they mean to kill may not be dead after all, their dread and terror escalates, as does the tension on the screen.
Clouzot’s real life spouse, Vera Clouzot, plays the part of the mild mannered wife, and she does so superbly. I really cannot say enough about her performance in this film. She is reason enough to watch the film, but the engaging plot and thrilling finale make it even better. Criterion brings us a true classic of early French cinema, with “Diabolique”.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 26th, 2003
At a time when the women’s liberation movement was picking up steam, Hollywood was changing the kinds of stories they told, and some of films most beloved personalities were aging and leaving the spotlight, the stars aligned perfectly for Stanley Donen to make the incredibly charming “Charade”. Both a send-up of James Bond films and a genuinely engaging mystery, “Charade” was the perfect film at the perfect time.
The story revolves around a young woman (played by the graceful and immensely likeable Audre... Hepburn) who finds that her husband has been murdered, and that the people who are responsible now want something from her… only she doesn’t know what it is. One man (played by the dashing Cary Grant) emerges to help her, but even he may not be who he appears. The whole mismatched crew rambles along together, in an attempt to discover what, and where, this elusive mystery item is... before it’s too late.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 25th, 2003
Forever Knight was a CBS attempt to provide original drama broadcasting in the late night slot. This was, of course, before Letterman came along. After two seasons it was jettisoned and the USA network picked it up. USA retooled the show and ran it for just one more year for a total of three: Thus the Forever Knight Trilogy. The concept was quite intriguing. Knight would strongly emulate the popular Ann Rice universe of vampires, combining these gothic images and stories with a modern police drama. Each episode had a trademark dual storyline. One story would involve Knight’s seedy vampire past, while the second story would involve the current police case. The stories would blend on some common element like loyalty or Father’s Day. Filmed almost totally at night in Canada, the series had a distinct atmosphere assisted in no small part by the wonderful time-lapse photography and the cello-rich score of Fred Molin
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 25th, 2003
You don’t necessarily have to be a fan of Big Beat or Electronica music to enjoy this DVD, but it probably helps. Luckily for me, I’m a fan of the genre, and I’m an especially avid fan of Norman Cook, A.K.A. Fatboy Slim. He is an artist that has an uncanny appeal to young and (hip) old alike. Even still, I had my doubts about just how interesting it could be to watch other people dancing and having a good time, while a DJ spins records.
Lucky for me, this DVD follows the same “just have fun” attitude that ...ook’s music does, providing a truly entertaining disc. It’s one thing to think about a large number of people going to a free concert on the beach, it’s another to hear that there were about 250,000 people there. It’s still another thing to see it yourself, and actually try to wrap your brain around the scene. A quarter of a million people, on an average day, meet at the beach at sunset for no reason at all, except to dance and be happy. Wow. This is really cool stuff.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on October 25th, 2003
Most sci-fi fans have a very warm place in their heart for Starbuck, Apollo, and the rest of the crew of Battlestar Galactica. At over $1 million per episode, it became the most expensive show in network history. Star Wars master Jedi f/x man John Dykstra utilized many of the techniques he developed for the Lucas enterprise. George Lucas claimed they were so close he was forced into a failed effort to sue the show for copyright infringement. Sci-Fi channel is about to relaunch this revered franchise, but the results appear so far underwhelming. (Starbuck as an airhead blonde chick?) Dressed in an amazing package that resembles a Cylon face, this is the ultimate Galactica. Glen Larson was already a network master with huge successes under his belt, like the famous forensic scientist Quincy, when he wrote and pitched the show. Galactica was a risk he did not have to take. The result was television magic. Like so many masterful shows before it, such as another famous sci-fi “enterprise”, it was never given a fair chance at the time. It was doomed to only be truly appreciated when it was finally gone.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 24th, 2003
The biggest band in the world did something completely revolutionary on their 2001 tour… they took a step back.
In the eighties and nineties, U2 was a band that became big. Huge. Their shows grew from arenas to stadiums, incorporating massive special effects, a giant lemon-shaped disco ball, and the largest video screen ever. As the productions grew, however, so did the costs, until the band was barely breaking even on the road, despite enormous audiences and absurd ticket prices. After some time off and a...new album, the band returned to the arenas where they first hit it big. This DVD set features the Boston, MA show from the Elevation tour in its entirety. The performance is not only fantastic, but completely honest and real. It is, as the saying goes, all that you can’t leave behind.
![U2 - Elevation Tour 2001 - Live from Boston [Region 2] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/u2-elevation-tour-2001-live-fro-large.jpg)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 24th, 2003
It Runs in the Family is a film that combines three generations of the Douglas family – patriarch Kirk Douglas, son Michael Douglas and grandson Cameron Douglas (Michael’s son from his 1st marriage). It’s not clear how much this movie resembles their real-life problems but chances are the emotions involved are quite similar.
The movie follows the story of the Grombergs. Mitchell Gromberg (Kirk Douglas) is the founder of the law firm that his son Alex (Michael Douglas) works at. Alex is quickly involved in...an affair with a fellow volunteer at a soup kitchen (Sarita Choudhury). This is an event that gets the movie rolling.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on October 23rd, 2003
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 23rd, 2003
It has taken years to finally get a block-buster Hulk film produced, and the outcome has received mixed reviews. Grossing $132 million in the domestic box-office is usually nothing to sneeze at, but considering it cost $150 million to make the Hulk, it must still be looked at as disappointing. Many would argue that the animation was unrealistic, other would argue that it was amazing… each to their own. I, myself, found the film quite disappointing. I found the animation far too overdone, and the story to be lack...uster. I did really appreciate Ang Lee’s direction, but that is about as far as my praise will go for this film.
For those of you who have been stuck under a rock for the past 20 years, here is the basic storyline…
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