Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 8th, 2002
The title catches your eye. A mob film, you suspect. And you’re right. But a mob film from 1968, BEFORE The Godfather defined the genre as we know it today, and the difference is apparent.
Synopsis
Kirk Douglas is big-shot Mafioso living in retirement in Sicily. He’s old-fashioned, and believes in the old “values” of the Cosa Nostra. From the States comes his brother, who wants to make his name with the mob. His assignment, as it turns out, is to kill Douglas. Set entirely in rura...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 8th, 2002
WOW! This is one of the most unique and fascinating films ever made… and this DVD release is equally as amazing. If you have never been introduced to Memento, this is your chance. This film works like no other (not counting “The Following” – Christopher Nolan’s first film), running backwards rather then sequentially. And let me tell you, once you have found the Easter egg that contains the film played sequentially, this film will take on a whole new life.
“In MEMENTO, Guy Pearce ("L.A. Confidential")...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 5th, 2002
This is a rather unique match-up, pairing one star in the twilight of his career (Burt Lancaster) with one entering her prime (Susan Sarandon), and both are given meaty roles.
Synopsis
Welcome to Atlantic City, the poor man’s Las Vegas. The emphasis is on “poor.” Everywhere we see buildings being torn down, and even the hustles are strictly nickle-and-dime operations. Burt Lancaster is an ageing small-time gangster. Susan Sarandon works the food counter in a casino, and is trainin...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 4th, 2002
Films
Fox offers five more Marilyn Monroe classics in Marilyn Monroe - The Diamond Collection Vol. II
Don't Bother to Knock - "Jed, an airline pilot, (Widmark) is resting in a hotel when he notices Nell (Monroe), a young woman babysitting for a wealthy couple. As Jed gets to know Nell better he realizes that the woman is not as stable as perhaps she should be. A unique thriller featuring a rare dramatic performance from Monroe, illustrating a broader range than most people might ...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 4th, 2002
Time travel stories and their inevitable paradoxes have been with us since Twain’s Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. This film takes a fresh approach to the subject. Instead of the characters moving through time, they are afforded the chance to communicate through time. Frequency is both engaging and often emotional. There is an amazing chemistry between father and son even though for most of the film they are never actually together. The baseball theme, for me, adds warmth that makes the relationship play out like a common memory.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on May 3rd, 2002
Film
Fritz Lang became one of the earliest masters of filmmaking. Known mostly for such classic silents as Metropolis and Spies, Lang delivers a startling film definitely ahead of its time with M. This is also the very first film for the talented Peter Lorre who would later shine in Corman’s Poe series, and of course, along-side Bogart in The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. M is a disturbing film that constantly assaults the viewer with stark images of a city’s underworld life. Th...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 20th, 2002
“Welcome to Jurassic Park”. With those words begin an adventure that started with the legacy of Willis O’Brien’s “The Lost World”… which would lead to Steven Spielberg to acknowledge this connection with the title of Jurassic Park 2. Dinosaur films are nothing new; they have held our child-like fascination since the industry was born. Jurassic Park was, however, something very new when it thundered into our cineplexes and forever in our imaginations. The marriage of brand new CGI technology with Stan Winston’s superbly detailed animatronics models transport you back 65 million years in time.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 17th, 2002
Intro
Fox has done it once again! From Hell is not the greatest of films, but this DVD release makes this film a must own.
Film
"FROM HELL is a gory detective film cloaked in Victorian-era mystique. The movie shows how the serial killer Jack the Ripper stalked the dark streets of 1888 London, slaying prostitutes and crudely dissecting their bodies. Based on the graphic novel written by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, this moody chiller is directed by twin brothers Albert and...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 17th, 2002
The case features Drew Barrymore front and centre, but don’t be misled. This is a 1997 effort, and Barrymore’s star was still on the (re)ascension. She has a supporting role in this crime story, yet another smart-aleck tale to come in the wake of Quentin Tarantino.
Synopsis
Luke Wilson (doing his best Nicolas Cage impression) has just been released from prison. He is picked up by his friends to be driven to the church to marry Drew Barrymore, but along the way, one of them (Patrick Flannery) decide...
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 16th, 2002
Let me start off by being very honest. I was not a huge fan of the Devlin and Emerich film version of Stargate. And because I wasn’t into the film, I did not bother to watch the Showtime original series when it first debuted. That was a major mistake on my behalf. The series is closer to Star Trek than Stargate (the movie). The cast is excellent beginning with Richard Dean Anderson taking over the Mike Douglas role of Col. O’Neal. With a refreshing blend of wit and tough guy, Anderson is everything you want in a le...
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