Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 13th, 2007
Honestly, was anyone really surprised when Universal announced a sequel to the ultra successful (and ultra-good) film The Mummy? The easiest comparison one can make is that Universal was trying to create their Indiana Jones series ala Fox. Even though neither Mummy film will EVER approach the quality of any of the Indiana Jones films (even the weakest Temple of Doom), The Mummy films, especially The Mummy Returns, are damn fun to watch.
Rick O�Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz) are a happily married adventure seeking couple. Having just returned from another treasure hunting trip (this time looking for the bracelet of Anubis). We zip to another scene where we learn that Anuksunamun is trying to bring her old love Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) back to life. The only big problem is that this particular year, 1933, happens to be the year of the Scorpion (a little back-story is that The Scorpion King sacrificed his soul to the god Anubis in exchange for victory over his enemies). If someone gets a hold of this bracelet and puts it on, The Scorpion King will rise in seven days (which is exactly what Imhotep and company want as they hope to steal The Scorpion King�s power). Well imagine what exactly happens and you have a pretty solid (if loop-holed) film.
![The Mummy Returns [HD DVD] dvd cover art](https://upcomingdiscs.com/ecs_covers/the-mummy-returns-hd-dvd-large.jpg)
Posted in: Brain Blasters, News and Opinions by David Annandale on January 12th, 2007
Greatness can be aspired to. Its achievement can be the driving goal behind a film. But its realization comes down so often to the kinds of intangibles that frustrate efforts to control or create. And this applies to greatness whether the work is good or not. That’s right, today, we’re musing about greatness in the negative (but therefore curiously positive sense): the films that are so bad they’re great.
I don’t think anything more clearly illustrates the difficulty in reaching this special kind of greatne...s than the case of Uwe Boll. There is no doubt that his films are staggeringly bad. The man’s dogged determination to continue pumping out product and foisting it on a unwilling world is testament to just the kind of boneheaded commitment required of the artiste maudit. He even shows a willingness to experiment (ill-advisedly) with the form, and he inspires the worst in otherwise talented casts and writers. And let us pause for a moment at the recent spectacle of his literal boxing matches with his critics. You have to admire that. There’s even a consistency to his body of work, in that it consists of the demolition of one video game after another: House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, the forthcoming Dungeon Siege and Postal.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 11th, 2007
Certain Christian churches and organizations in North America preach something often called �the prosperity gospel.� In a nutshell, this refers to the idea that God wants us to be rich, physically, emotionally and materially.
It�s a pretty controversial message, but also a very attractive one. After all, what could be better than marrying Christianity to the American dream?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 11th, 2007
While this is not a film that has specific comedic elements, James Garner seems to be the perfect choice to play this role. Up until this point in his career, almost every role that Garner had fulfilled on the big screen had been that of a soldier. Now, halfway through his TV stint as Maverick, he returns to the silver screen to bank on his new popularity as the star of a unique war film.
When I come across movies like this one, I think of films like Behind Enemy Lines and Spy Games; ente...taining and slightly above average films that will sadly not be remembered as time marches on. The fact is, only the best of the best films stand the test of time, while there are plenty of perfectly entertaining, well made films that just fade away from our collective consciousness.
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on January 10th, 2007
PS3 Shipping Tomfoolery, MsPacman goes “Live”, & 360 Gets a Hero - Welcome to the column that only wants to be dugg so Morgan Webb can file a restraining order known as Dare to Play the Game.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 9th, 2007
Four years after Jackass: The Movie took the popular MTV franchise to the big screen, Johnny Knoxville and his gang returned to theatres with Jackass - Number Two. The sequel is bigger, bolder and much more disgusting. But is it better?
In my humble opinion, the sequel equates to more of the same. If you loved the original, you'll eat this up. If you hated it - and we both know those are the only two options - you can happily make indignant remarks to any friends or family in the "love it" camp.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 9th, 2007
When you consider the huge amount of acting inherent to the WWF, you might expect acting talents to dominate this WWE horror production. OK, of course you wouldn't. Still, acting is not where this film shines. The tired formula of teens in an isolated location who get picked off one by one is certainly nothing original, so the script doesn't offer any real shining moments either. So where exactly does this film take on a luster of its own? Truth be told? It doesn't. Of course, looking at the target audience, the film doesn't really need to. What matters here is body count, right? The numbers are up there in respectable territory. And while the gore f/x are not groundbreaking, you have to give the film style points for creativity. The plot has plenty of holes. Let's just forget the overall premise of jail inmates earning time off for fixing up an old hotel. Let's totally ignore that when they arrive there's obviously no direction or equipment to do the job. The setting at least takes us away from the by now cliché babysitters and camp counselors. As for the rest of the story, it's pretty much horror 101. Everyone knows that when running for your life from a bloodthirsty maniac, there's always time to break for a joint and a quick romp in the sack.
The cinematography is almost video game in nature. There are plenty of POV shots and quirky lighting. There are too many rapid cuts, which tend to make the kill shots a bit frantic and hard to actually see. There's also a strong influence by the latest Asian Horror Invasion, as evidenced by jerky movements and again in some of the rapid cuts. Glen Jacobs is the wrestling world's Kane. The film was obviously developed for and catered to the wrestling personality. Unlike such icons as Hulk Hogan or even The Rock, Kane has a pretty limited range. Fortunately he's perfect for the part, but let's not get too many of those Shakespeare scripts to him yet. What makes Kane work is that all he really has to do is look menacing without really speaking, and Kane has it down. The film's atmosphere works on many levels, thanks to an inspired set design. Unfortunately the shooting style cheats us of any opportunity to linger a bit and enjoy the work.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 9th, 2007
Border Radio is an independent film written and directed by Allison Anders, Kurt Voss and Dean Lent. The film serves as more of a curiosity than a great film on its own merits. Released in 1987, the film fell in amongst the wave of indie filmmakers making an impact at the time, including Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. In fact, Anders directed one of the segments in the film Four Rooms, which also featured stories by these two filmmakers, in addition to Alexandre Rockwell. While Tarantino and Ro...riguez have gone on to amazing success, many of their contemporaries never took off on a grand scale. Anders, Voss and Lent fall into this category, with Lent and Voss later directing a string of "B" movies, and Anders turning her efforts toward directing television programs.
Still, this film is an excellent example of the advice that all indie filmmakers give to aspiring filmmakers; "just make your movie!!" The goal of a debut feature is not always to make the next Reservoir Dogs as much as it is a chance to gain experience and show the world that you can handle the strain of a feature-length production. Maybe neither director went on to direct a $30 million blockbuster film, but they created a career for themselves through their work in a self-funded production.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 9th, 2007
Victor (Greg Bryk) is one piece of work: a millionaire playboy with a taste for torture and absolutely no regard for anyone but himself. Who wouldn’t want this guy dead? His wife Elizabeth (Kristy Swanson, emerging from the where-are-they-now file) and his lawyer Roman (Josh Peace) are having an affair and plan to knock him off. They poison him, but it turns out the drug only creates a death-like stasis. He is still fully conscious, even as he’s about to be dissected. Understandably, when he regains mobility, his disposition has in no way been improved.
The film is at its strongest during Victor’s pseudo-death, as it gives free reign to black humour, and the initially ho-hum lovers-kill-evil-husband plot ventures into fresher territory. The dialogue becomes quite witty at this stage as well. The first and third acts are rather more conventional DTV fare, though the gore level is surprisingly, and pleasingly, high. When all is said and done, this flick isn’t going to rock anybody’s world, but it is brisk, efficient and bloody enough that one won’t complain about the lost 85 minutes either. Call it rental fodder that actually delivers what it promises.
Posted in: Highly Defined, News and Opinions by Archive Authors on January 8th, 2007
What kind of oil is used on stripper poles again?
OK, this round of activity should be pretty bland, as all the rage and anticipation is saved for the coming days, as CES has just started (or about to start) as you’re reading this. Lots of announcements are forthcoming, with the speculation apparently that Blu-Ray will be the king of new news, with many new releases and perhaps the revelation of a second-generation Samsung player. The HD-DVD camp is a mystery at this point, but we’ll have a roundup and spec...lative analysis once things have completed. With newer Sony titles, you can currently see some previews of upcoming titles, including Lawrence of Arabia, Spider Man, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Bad Boys II, to name a few.
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