World Trade Center (HD DVD)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 22nd, 2006
Everyone in the world knows about the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. With films hitting the big screen in 2006, I guess the studios thought time enough had gone by to start making movies on the tragedy. World Trade Center is based on the attacks on the World Trade Center, as obvious by its name, but makes mention of the other attacks of the day. I can�t comment on the realism of the movie pertaining to the individuals depicted in the film (John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno) but they were involved with the production of the film, and since film is based on their accounts of the day I could imagine it�s very realistic. There are a few factual inaccuracies regarding some of the events of the day, but nothing major.
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Mozart & The Whale
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 22nd, 2006
In case Rain Man didn’t give you your fill of films about autistic characters, Ron Bass, writer of Rain Man, has decided to give us an unnecessary sequel. OK, this isn’t really a sequel, but it might as well be. Honestly, this film has everything Rain Man had except for a good scripts, solid performances, and oh yeah, Dustin Hoffman. Still, this romantic nonsense utilizes the same theme. Unfortunately autism here is reduced at times to stereotyping that appears grossly unfair to the millions of people who suffer from the disability and their loved ones.
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The Last Kiss (2006)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 22nd, 2006
Don’t pay any attention to the description on the back of DVD case. Described as “hilarious”, this film is anything but. While it may have a few funny moments, we’re talking about a serious drama. The Last Kiss is a cautionary tale about temptation. It presents the circumstances and life choices of 30-year-olds in an intense, honest way, which makes the film both completely engrossing as well as difficult to watch.
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Brain Blasters
Posted in Brain Blasters, News and Opinions by David Annandale on December 22nd, 2006
Well, it’s that festive time of the year, and what could be more appropriate than the remake of Black Christmas hitting the theatres on December 25? Now, I haven’t seen this film, of course, but the advance word is not encouraging. Head on over to www.dreadcentral.com and you’ll see that it seems that directors Glen Morgan and James Wong know how to do comedic horror (Final Destination), but have no idea how to play things straight. Sounds like we have another fine mess on our hands. But the remake has …
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Forbidden Hollywood
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 21st, 2006
What we have here are three films from Hollywood’s days before the Production Code kicked in, which show just how much the envelope was being pushed when it came to sexual subject matters. The recurring theme here is sex as a commodity, whether the situations beinig dealt with involve outright prostitution or not.
Outright prostitution is very much the issue in Waterloo Bridge (1931), director James Whale’s effort just prior to making Frankenstein. Mae Clarke (who would play Elizabeth in Frankenstein) is an out-of-work chorus girl during WWI, not a prostitute trolling for men on the titular bridge.
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Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (HD DVD)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 20th, 2006
Director Ron Howard is quite the puzzling man. He surely knows how to direct a fine film like A Beautiful Mind or even The Da Vinci Code, but still knows how to give us that random piece of crap. When word came that Howard was going to adapt Dr. Seuss� timeless classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas, I immediately questioned why? After all wasn�t the TNT special that airs oh 40-50 times a year good enough? I guess not for Hollywood as the 2000 remake made some serious bank with Jim Carrey portraying the lead character. The only unfortunate part here is that the film is absolutely horrendous.
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Cemetery Man
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2006
A twisted twist on the zombie genre. Dellamorte (Everett) is a watchman of sorts over a small village cemetery. The problem is not so much with folks breaking in as with the dead breaking out. In this neck of the woods the dead arise within 7 days of their death. A simple shot in the head solves the rather pesky problem; however, it requires a certain amount of vigilance. Now so far none of this is terribly original at all. Things begin to change when Dellamorte becomes infatuated with a mourning widow. Their escapades at her husband’s grave literally wake the dead.
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Seinfeld – Season 7
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2006
It started as “the show about nothing”, but we really know better. While some say it’s much ado about nothing, they’ve missed the point, haven’t they. Ask some folks, and they’ve got nothing to say. Well. If you can’t say something nice…
Jerry Seinfeld did what so many comics have failed to do well. It seems just about every stand-up out there thinks the stuff will work on television. Some of it does. Those that got the chance owe much to the success of Seinfeld. Like few sit-coms before it, the series was the hot topic at work water coolers.
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Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist – Season Two
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 20th, 2006
Dr. Katz is Frasier on LSD. This cartoon is based on stand-up Jonathan Katz and is psychobabble routine. Most of each episode centers on Dr. Katz and usually a couple of sessions with patients played by fellow stand-ups or other celebrities. While there is some humor here, none of it jumps out as rip-roaring funny. Then there’s the infamous “Squigglevision”. To me this makes the darn thing near impossible to watch. The gyrating animation gives me a headache. To review this set, I couldn’t watch more than one episode per sitting.
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Lonesome Jim
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 20th, 2006
Some films never achieve greatness, but still manage to leave their viewers with a wry smile, and a “that wasn’t so bad, I’m glad I watched it” mentality. Lonesome Jim from IFC Films is one such motion picture. Starring Casey Affleck and Liv Tyler and directed by Steve Buscemi, this is one mood-swinging comedy that will lull you into complacency, then occasionally drop large hilarious bombs into the experience when least expected. Centered on a depressing, tight-lipped, tell-it-like-it-is, loner, who is for…
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Dare to Play the Game
Posted in Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on December 20th, 2006
Wii Straps a breaking, XBOX 360 Compatibility a adding, and a Ho Ho Ho a Packing – Welcome to the column that only gives and doesn’t receive a darn thing known as Dare to Play the Game.
Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. This will be a weird column this week, I apologize. My internet connection at home was down for all of tuesday night (one little rainstorm and the cable connection goes belly up). I wasted my time playing Viva…
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The Wicker Man (2006)
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 19th, 2006
Nicolas Cage is a highway cop haunted by a gruesome accident. He receives a mysterious letter from his ex-fiancee, begging him to come to the remote colony where she lives and help find her daughter. Cage arrives there to find a grim matriarchy, uncooperative locals, and sinister hints of something nasty going to happen to the child.
I wrote about this film when it was in the theatres, and rather than repeat myself through paraphrase, I repeat myself verbatim. Note there are some spoilers below.
MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge – The Complete First Season
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 19th, 2006
Spike TV has really picked up steam in recent years, and this momentum is nowhere more apparent than in their staple show MXC – Most Extreme Elimination Challenge. Now on DVD with the complete first season, fans of the show and adventurous new viewers are sure to enjoy the antics and wisecracks of hosts “Kenny” and “Vic,” who provide commentary on each episode of insane Asian people sacrificing their bodies for the thrill of being on television. Of course, the American voiceovers of MXC are all added …
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Fish Called Wanda, A
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 18th, 2006
A Fish Called Wanda returns to DVD, this time in a stunning 2-disc collector’s edition that finally gives adequate treatment to one of the funniest surprises of the eighties. John Cleese stars as an English barrister, whose life is so dull and – well, British – that a seductress/jewel thief named Wanda comes along and steals his heart in record time. But Wanda carries a lot of baggage with her, the heaviest piece being a Nietzche-quoting moron, who just so happens to be her psychotic boyfriend. Add an anima…
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Little Miss Sunshine
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 17th, 2006
Little Miss Sunshine is a gem. With a quirky script, a great cast and interesting cinematography, there’s plenty to appreciate as this ultimately uplifting film unfolds.
To make a great movie, they say you have to start with a great script. From there, your goal is just to not screw it up. Little Miss Sunshine‘s script laid just such a foundation for this film, as it’s unique, funny and surprisingly heartwarming.
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Viva Piñata (Xbox 360)
Posted in Game Reviews by Michael Durr on December 17th, 2006
Opening
If you ever visit my house, you might be a bit underwhelmed from the outside appearance. It is a simple three bedroom place with a few trees and a handful of assorted plants. If I can concentrate on growing something I do fine, but since I’m not really used to the space, things can look out of sorts. So when I received Viva Pi�ata from the minds of Rare LTD, I was a little worried. Here I was given a new garden to cultivate and grow various plants, trees, & bushes in hopes of attracti…
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The Cheetah Girls 2 (Cheetah-Licious Edition)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
Well as far as girl groups go, I suppose one could do worse than the Cheetah Girls. Something that is a pretty clear production of the Disney network, the only recognizable thing about the group itself is the appearance of the big-boned Raven Symone, otherwise known as the youngest Cosby kid.
And it appears that several different plot devices occur through the film. You’ve got the Help! or other delirious fans of young groups. Then the girls travel to what appears to be Spain after maxing out their success in the US, so they decide to go without really going, using enough exterior shots to match up with the sound stage scenes.
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The Oh in Ohio
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
Maybe you guys don’t remember the Blake Edwards romantic comedies of the ’70s and ’80s like 10 or even Skin Deep, but I’d even go so far as to say that when it clicks, The Oh in Ohio is much in the same vein of those comedies. Anyone notice the disclaimer?
Anyway for those that missed it, Priscilla Chase (Parker Posey, Superman Returns) is a successful businesswoman in Cleveland who is married to Jack (Paul Rudd, Anchorman), a high school teacher in the area.
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The Wild
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
If there’s something that bothers me about the wave of digital films for children’s entertainment nowadays, it’s that anyone who has a Mac and good enough software feels compelled to make a movie, no matter how much it sucks. And Disney (or Dreamworks) or another studio will put enough marketing money behind it to make anyone want to watch it.
How can you tell how good or bad it will be? Well, if it’s not a Pixar film, you can generally tell by the cast that is brought in to do voice work for it. In the case of The Wild, Samson the Lion (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) lives in the New York zoo with his son Ryan (hey, that’s me! But really it’s Greg Cipes, John Tucker Must Die).
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Region 2) (HD DVD)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
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Synopsis
Not to fawn too heavily on one side in the next-generation format wars, but how cool is HD-DVD? Well, if for nothing else, the HD-A1 and HD-XA1 players from Toshiba are all region-free. And while Warner Brothers has been slipping over themselves and teasing American consumers with a release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, British customers have gotten full penetration, and can pick up the fourth Potter film now. So I went onto Amazon UK and picked up my own copy, and I�m going to presume that the disc will be the same when it comes out here, whenever that will be.
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Miami Vice (HD DVD)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 15th, 2006
Michael Mann, for myself, has always been an entertaining director. His commercial successes like Last of the Mohicans, Heat and Collateral are some of my favorite guilty-pleasure films that I can always enjoy. When Mann decided to make a feature film on the classic TV series Miami Vice, I immediately piqued interest in the film. I figured with Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx acting and Michael Mann directing that Miami Vice would be a home run. In the end, Vice is more of a double that has a few faults which keep it from hitting a home run.
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Full House – The Complete Fifth Season
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 15th, 2006
Why is it that kids watch so much bad programming? When I was a child I watched a lot of Full House, even though I knew at the time that it was a poorly-crafted program. I really don’t remember ever laughing during an episode, and I knew how cheesy the whole thing was, yet if I was at home changing channels, and the show came on, I would inexplicably stop and watch. At first, I think it was confusing for me that Dave Coulier was on the show, as up until that point I was used to seeing him as the host of Nickel…
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Brain Blasters
Posted in Brain Blasters, News and Opinions by David Annandale on December 15th, 2006
Old fogey time. When I first encountered Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K, don’t you know), it was an authentically viral phenomenon. This would have been circa 1993. It was still on the Comedy Network, a station that very few of us in the Great White North had access to. But the closing credits ordered, “Keep Circulating Those Tapes,” and people did. Often, this meant viewing the episodes in multi-duped EP versions so muzzy the dialogue was barely audible, but enough was discernible to know that we were w…
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Dukes of Hazzard, The – The Complete Seventh Season
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 13th, 2006
I can’t believe this show ran for seven seasons. Sure, I enjoyed it as a child, but I was a child, and didn’t know any better. Seeing it today, it is shocking how bad it really is. The acting is pathetic and the storylines are lame and predictable. Every episode for seven straight seasons had the same basic skeleton. The boys are having a good time, the corrupt county commissioner does something for personal gain, the half-retarded Sheriff blames it on the innocent Duke boys, car chase, short shorts, car flies throug…
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Paul McCartney – The Space Within US
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 13th, 2006
Paul McCartney is a great example of what Darwin meant by survival of the fittest. No one in the music business has learned to adapt and thrive like Paul McCartney. The term timeless has been applied so often to so many performers that it might have lost any meaning. Still, if anyone deserves that description, it is Paul McCartney. With The Beatles he helped define the 60’s and reinvent Rock and Roll. In the 1970’s and 80’s he continued the hits with Paul McCartney and Wings. When Wings finally disappeared into the midnight sky, McCartney was still at it as a solo artist.
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