Being John Malkovich
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 16th, 2005
In watching Being John Malkovich again recently, for the first time in awhile, the thing I was struck by is how unique it is (duh!). It doesn’t try too hard at being different, to the point that it’s going to suck, everything is matter of fact, and it’s hilarious. Its characters are flawed, but we feel for some of them a great deal. It’s funny, it’s touching, it’s dramatic, it works on many levels. I’d expected this to be a 112 minute MTV video from Spiegel heir Spike Jonze, but it’s clear that with his work, combined with Charlie Kaufman’s script, the result is a story about the 3 main characters experiencing deep, life-altering experiences, and from those experiences, finding (or wanting to find) love. How they get there though, that’s another story.
Read More
West Point: The First 200 Years
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 16th, 2005
Synopsis
Why give a DVD about West Point to a guy to supports the Army? You’re probably going to get a lovefest DVD review about just how awesome the Army is anyway. Well, I’ll do my best to keep things in check. Besides, as an enlisted man, I hated officers (or just didn’t respond to too many of them), but I tried to keep an open mind.
As it stands, West Point: The First 200 Years, which was produced by PBS, is still a decent look at how the United States Military Academy has evolved to wh…
Read More
National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 16th, 2005
As usual, National Lampoon comes up with a silly but at times funny movie – if you like silly that is. The two leading goofballs are just off the wall enough to make this movie bearable.
Gold Diggers is about two young losers named Cal (Will Friedle) and Lenny (Chris Owen) who enter a life of crime trying to survive on the streets. Unfortunately, they are terrible at it and end up going in and out of jail a couple of times before things begin to look up for them – they attempt to rob two very old si…
Read More
Seed of Chucky
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 16th, 2005
Synopsis
Years after the events of Bride of Chucky, evil dolls Chucky (voice of Brad Dourif) and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) are dormant and being used to make a Chucky movie, starring in-decline sexpot Jennifer Tilly. (I know: very postmodern already, and we’ve only just begun.) Their offspring (voice of Billy Boyd), of indeterminate gender and gentle spirit, escapes its evil ventriloquist captor, travels to Hollywood and revives the demonic duo, unaware of their psychotic natures. Chucky wants …
Read More
World Poker Tour – Season Two
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 16th, 2005
Poker viewing on television has been a phenomenon that has exploded over the last few years. This 8-disc set of The World Poker Tour – Season Two (14 episodes and one disc with bonus material) is a viewing pleasure for any poker fan who just enjoys watching it or is looking to improve their game.
Each episode includes poker instruction and player profiles for an inside look at the professional poker world. The host team of Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten are very knowledgeable and add excitement t…
Read More
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 15th, 2005
In the unnecessary sequel department comes Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. Why make this movie? Because Sandra Bullock needs a hit? It doesn’t come here. Bullock, once again (and hopefully for the last time), plays Gracie Hart. Her involvement in a well known beauty pageant has made it impossible for Gracie to maintain a low FBI profile. So she has become the PR person for the bureau. But Gracie is “called back” into the line of duty (against the FBI’s wishes) when two of her friends (played by …
Read More
Chicago (Collector’s Series)
Posted in News and Opinions by Archive Authors on June 15th, 2005
Miramax Home Entertainment will release the Collector’s Edition of the Academy Award Winning Chicago on September 13th. This 3-disc set will be presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, along with both English Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS audio tracks. Extras will include an audio commentary (with the Director and Screenwriter), extended musical performances, song rehearsals, Chita Rivera’s Encore, a “From Stage To Screen: The History of Chicago” documentary,An Intimate Look at Director Rob Mar…
Read More
Godfather Part II, The
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 14th, 2005
The Godfather Part II is, quite simply, one of the best films of all time. Personally, I would actually place it above it’s predecessor, the original Godfather film, though both won Academy Awards for Best Picture. Part II, however, gave us not only Al Pacino in a genre-defining role, but also the young days of the original Godfather, played brilliantly by Robert De Niro, who impressively treads the line between believability and farce that is so fine with an actor like Marlin Brando.
In fact, i…
Read More
A Separate Peace (2004)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 13th, 2005
This Showtime version of John Knowles’ A Separate Peace will bring joy to high school teachers everywhere. Finally, there is a quality movie version to show in English class. Peace is usually mandatory reading in high school (I know I read it), and follows the story of Gene and Finny. Their prep school relationship is ambiguous, and character motivations are a little more complex in the novel (dare I say…a little more provocative?). But, at its core, the novel and this adaptation is a coming of ag…
Read More
Controversial Classics
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 13th, 2005
Synopsis
The degree to which any of these films is or was “controversial” varies quite a bit, but the claim can certainly be made that all seven of these films dealt with pertinent social issues of their times. Some are still quite relevant today, and all are well worth watching.
I Am a Fugitive from as Chain Gang (1932) is the film that, of this group, had the most direct impact on the real world: not only did it give a huge boost to penal reform, but Robert E. Burns, on whose book …
Read More
Buffalo Bill
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 12th, 2005
Synopsis
One of the unique parts of the Western film genre is the lore behind Buffalo Bill. And while the western has faded as a favored film genre through the years, it’s still the subject of various films, stage plays and other adaptations. This particular film tells the story of a white man living in the West who was sympathetic to and friends with the Native Americans, Bill Cody, who later became a scout for the Army and was the head of a sideshow in the later years of his life.
The film stars…
Read More
Dirty Filthy Love
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 12th, 2005
Synopsis
Michael Sheen (so good as the sweet, big-hearted protagonist of Heartlands) is on the verge of losing his job as an architect, and he and his wife have just separated. His obsessive compulsive disorders, which led to these problems in the first place, are enormously exacerbated by the resultant stress, and Tourette’s Syndrome becomes a problem now too. He is desperate to win his wife back, an in an attempt to get his life together, he joins an OCD self-help group led by Shirley Hender…
Read More
Get a Clue
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 9th, 2005
Lindsay Lohan plays sassy Nancy Drew wanna be Lexy Gold. When one of her teachers goes missing (played by Ian Gomez), Lexy enlists her “hip” friends to help her crack the case. Another vehicle for Lohan. It’s a little boring, and the mystery plays out on the level of a Saved By the Bell episode. The point of the movie is to point out they sassiness of Lohan. She’s sooo hip. Like…totally.
Audio
The mix is in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. Not much originality in the mix. Some …
Read More
Swimming Upstream
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 9th, 2005
Swimming Upstream is one of those “small” sports underdog films. It’s a true story about Aussie Tony Fingleton, a swimmer who vies to be National champion. Is he racing against all odds? Well…the odds are in the form of family. Geoffrey Rush plays Fingleton’s father, an abusive alcholic. So…not only is Fingleton trying to achieve athletic glory, but also trying to win the heart of his father. This is a paint by numbers sports story. The performances are the saving grace, however. Rush, Jesse Spencer …
Read More
American Psycho
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 9th, 2005
Synopsis
Christian Bale plays Patrick Bateman, Wall Street dealer and psychotic. He, like his peers, is completely obsessed with surfaces, narcissistic beyond all measure, and about as deep as a sheet of mylar (and his extended exegesis on the music of Huey Lewis and the News doesn’t help make him seem smarter, despite what he thinks). He rapes and murders with impunity, but after all, isn’t that the 80s ethic in a nutshell?
Brett Eason Ellis’ novel, massively reviled by people who didn’t b…
Read More
American Gothic
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 7th, 2005
Synopsis
Inspired by the Grant Wood painting, “American Gothic” is a 24-minute experimental horror short. Director Carlos Batts explains in his intro that the idea is that the farmer in the Wood painting killed his wife, and is now consumed by guilt. This is conveyed through a collage of surreal images, mixing Magritte, Goth and splatter, with a soundtrack that mixes portentous poetry and death metal/industrial rock. The latter isn’t a completely successful fit, partly because of audio limitations (s…
Read More
Law & Order – The Third Year
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 7th, 2005
“In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders …” If you haven’t seen Law and Order, this is the set to begin with. Season 3 is most notable as the first year for Jerry Orbach. His 11 years in the role of Briscoe gave this revolving door series the kind of stability it needed. The powers that be at Universal added confusion to the mix when it released season 14 following season 2.
Read More
Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 6th, 2005
Synopsis
Another cog in the Disney/Winnie the Pooh machine comes to life here, as Pooh’s Heffalump Movie brings back all the characters you love for a story about acceptance, no matter what you look like.
Roo (voiced by Nikita Hopkins) becomes curious about the dangerous and scary Heffalump (which looks a lot like an elephant) that Pooh, Rabbit, Tigger and Piglet talk about, and he heads into an unknown part of the 100 acre forest to search for it. He finds a young heffalump named Lumpy (Ky…
Read More
Parent Trap, The (1998)
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 6th, 2005
The Parent Trap is a remake of the Hayley Mills classic. It stars none other than Lindsday Lohan. She’s actually pretty good here. In a pre-sex appeal role, Lohan plays two twins who have never met, but then do. They concoct a plan to switch identies on their respective divorced parents. Lohan pulls off both twin personalities quite well. The movie also stars the always reliable Dennis Quaid and the extremely talented Natasha Richardson. It might be fun for kids, and Lohan fans, but this is NOT a case of…
Read More
Princess and the Pirate, The
Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 5th, 2005
Synopsis
Without a doubt, Bob Hope was one of (if not) the best comedic actors of his era. During a time after Charlie Chaplin had peaked in silent films, Hope picked up the comedic torch, and during a time where actors consistently appeared in 3-5 films a year, and an early recognizable title was 1940’s Road to Singapore, the first of several Road To films with him and friends Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.
The Princess and the Pirate, made in 1944, was made during this …
Read More
Mean Creek
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 2nd, 2005
Synopsis
Aaron Jacob Estes’ film Mean Creek has been favorably compared to films like River’s Edge and in a sense, Lord of the Flies, for obvious reasons, and that’s not a bad thing. Written and directed by Estes, the film begins with Sam (Rory Culkin, Signs), who “borrows” a camcorder owned by George (Josh Peck, Spun), and gets beaten up for it. Sam’s brother Rocky (Trevor Morgan, The Patriot) steps in as the protective, bigger brother and does a little scheming.>
Rocky decides to ask his friends Clyde (Ryan Kelley, Stolen Summer) and Marty (Scott Mechlowitz, EuroTrip) for help in leveling a bit of justice on George, so they decide to take George on a trip down a river with Sam and his “girlfriend” Millie (Carly Schroeder, The Lizzie McGuire Movie). You can kinda see the ending coming, but what results is an interesting character study in the choices that they make and what they decide to do makes for very interesting viewing.
The movie made some noise on the Festival circuits last year, and the issues that the cast deals with (considering that no one has graduated high school in the film) really impresses you and how they handle it. That is the main action in the film, it’s the character’s interactions with George and their opinions of him. Dismissing the Culkin factor in the film should be easy, as Rory has built a decent filmography, and this film enhances it.
Audio
One of the cool things about reviewing movies for the site is that you get to write about movies you’ve heard about and forget either if the movie theater is too far or if you forget ever time you go to Blockbuster. It still surprises me that an independent film would even have a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, and Mean Creek sounds very good on DVD, and the river trip is proof of it, with a lot of surround effects and an active soundtrack.
Video
The movie was mostly shot with handheld cameras and looks excellent for a low budget film, the black levels and outstanding, and yet the blues and greens of Oregon are reproduced vividly with minimal edge enhancement during the film. If you gave this crew some money, I think you’d probably get a reference quality DVD out of the process.
Special Features
Paramount hasn’t added too many extras on this disc, but the largest one is a commentary track with Estes, editor Madeline Gavin, cinematographer Sharone Meir, and Peck, Kelley, Morgan and Schroeder. The track is pretty jovial and lively, with a lot of joking around, and Morgan sounds an awful lot like a young Michael Madsen for one reason or another. The tone changes when the movie does, and there are some gaps of silence as a result, but overall it’s a decent track. Along with a small storyboard gallery of 11 stills and 6 trailers (none of which are for the film itself), there’s nothing after that.
Final Thoughts
Mean Creek was a commercially underrated film that does a good job of portraying moral dilemmas faced by group of young people very well on DVD. The commentary is entertaining and even enhances the film experience, and is worth checking out.
Special Features List
- Director and Cast Commentary
- Storyboards
Muder, She Wrote – The Complete First Season
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 2nd, 2005
Synopsis
The only thing I really remembered about Murder, She Wrote was that as a young American child, I used to see it being advertised after 60 Minutes and before a TV movie starring Tori Spelling or something. It would bother me even more because these ads were being announced by a semi-drunk pro football announcer, and put a damper on whatever football game I was watching. Enough with the plugs and get back to the action!
But Murder, She Wrote was a lynchpin of Sunday nig…
Read More
National Lampoon Presents Lost Reality 2: More of the Worst
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 2nd, 2005
National Lampoon was still around? I didn’t think so. But sure enough, there is a staff, they still produce movies occasionally (the cinematic tour de force Van Wilder being among their recent contributions to cinema), and in order to satirize some of the absolute sheet on TV nowadays, came up with the Lost Reality series of discs.
With introduction from (who I’m assuming are) members of the Lampoon staff, the clips are a bit hit or miss. Some of the funnier bits are OK, and could have turned …
Read More
Getaway, The
Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on June 2nd, 2005
Synopsis
Steve McQueen is Doc McCoy, master thief. Having just been denied parole, he asks wife Ali McGraw to make a bargain with political fixer Ben Johnson to get him out. This she does, but what McQueen doesn’t realize is that the deal not only involved McQueen’s participation in a bank job, but also McGraw sleeping with Johnson. In short order, the robbery goes wrong, and husband and wife are on the run.
From its punchy, jaggedly edited credit sequence on, this is Peckinpah at his most …
Read More
Love Song For Bobby Long
Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 2nd, 2005
I didn’t think that Scarlet Johansson had an active eye or ear for drama films, that she does different stuff and has generally been incredibly lucky. Apparently, she’s got a good knack for appearing in films that have good stories also, as she had been attached to this film for quite some time.
Based on the novel by Ronald Everett Capps, A Love Song for Bobby Long tells the story of Pursy (Johansson), who has recently found out her mother died, so she travels back to New Orleans and meets Bobby Long…
Read More