Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2006
Eric Idle, Kohn Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and of course Graham Chapman formed Britain’s most famed comedy troupe. The exploits of Monty Python’s Flying Circus were truly “something entirely different”. Their off the wall antics have written an entire chapter in the story of pop culture. There certainly is not near enough space here for me to give the group its just due. So I won’t even try. If you’ve never heard of them, then stop reading, crawl back into the rabbit hole you’ve been living ...n, and open a fresh can of Spam. For the rest of you who just want to know if this particular DVD is worth picking up, the answer, in short, is yes.
This disc is part of a six part series that covers each member of the Monty Python troupe. The series originally aired as part of a PBS tribute. This DVD begins as a fitting tribute to Graham Chapman who passed away in 1989. The remaining five Python members get serious, for the most part, and offer their own fond memories of their fallen comrade. The interviews are insightful and refreshingly quite frank. They not only address the man’s comedic genius but his personal demons as well. Chapman struggled with alcoholism and the ridicule of a flamboyant homosexual lifestyle. Many of Chapman’s and certainly Monty Python’s best moments are here. The task is not an easy one. They have produced hundreds of hours of comedy, and selecting an hour of the best is hardly a simple mission. The choices are very nice ones indeed. Some of my own favorites included in this set are the self-wrestling match and Oscar and His Majesty. More than just a collection of skits, this DVD provides wonderful insight into Chapman, the man. A special treat is a few behind the scenes moments from such great works as “Life of Brian”.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 22nd, 2006
The longest running show in prime time doesn’t feature cops, doctors, or lawyers. It’s hard to believe that The Simpsons have existed as long as the Fox network. While the series didn’t really begin until Fox’s second year, the characters were part of The Tracey Ullman Show, which did start the first year of Fox. Who could have guessed that an animated short from an otherwise horrible and doomed variety show would explode into such a phenomenon. The Simpsons have not only dominated the pop culture; they have placed...everything else into context with their show. Like Doonesbury, it could be said that the only thing worse than being made fun of on The Simpsons is not being made fun of on The Simpsons. With that said, you’ll understand my warm feelings and appreciation for this show.
Now let’s talk about this particular release. To say that it is a forced marketing scam would be going easy. This is the kind of gimmick the show itself would have a field day with. Whatever the genius behind the Simpsons might be, it rarely shows in this Valentine themed 4 disc DVD. In each episode, often through flashbacks, we see the love story of Marge and Homer Simpson, and it’s not a pretty sight. The Simpsons are at their best when the characters have society’s foibles to play against. The heart warming stuff just isn’t the peak of Simpsons lore. The highlight of the entire set is the Three Stooges bit using Clinton, Bush, and Carter. Wait for the season sets to arrive to get these episodes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 22nd, 2006
Synopsis
In Spain of the early 70s, Javier Cámara is Alfredo, an unsuccessful door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. His wife, Carmen (Candela Peña), desperately wants a baby, but he refuses because of their dire financial straits. The publishing house he works for decides to move into making sex films, and its remaining door-to-door men must film themselves having sex with their wives or lose their jobs. Carmen sees this as a good opportunity to get pregnant, and convinces Alfredo to give it a try. The...two turn out to be very good at making these films. Bitten by the cinema bug, Alfredo has ambitions of making a feature film in the vein of his idol, Ingmar Bergman. Will his artistic dreams be realized? Will Carmen become a mother? And what to do about Alfredo’s non-existent sperm count?
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
Sex and the City: The Essentials – Mr. Big is a release, which serves no purpose that can’t otherwise be obtained from watching reruns on TBS. True, the series is edited for television, but a show should not have to resort solely to objectionable content to build a relationship with its audience. That’s not to say it can’t, but if you’re interested in trying out Sex and the City, I doubt it’s to see how many breasts, penises, and profane words you can see and hear, respectively, in a half-hour of televi...ion. (You’ll be disappointed because, while for mature audiences, there are far worse shows out there.) No, you’re probably going to watch Sex and the City because you like character-driven comedy that focuses less on jokes and more on social realities. Or, maybe you like HBO’s programming, and you feel this show must be good if they picked it up.
Whatever the reason, chances are, you’re better off buying the entire seasons on DVD, or first trying out the show on TBS before making the decision of building a season-by-season collection. With The Essentials, you get a sparse three episodes with nary a special feature in sight. It’s a pointless waste of time no matter what angle you’re coming from. On the Mr. Big Essentials disc, you will get three episodes detailing different highs and lows in Carrie’s relationship with the title character. Perhaps it will leave you wanting more. If so, then the disc has done its job, but the real challenge which lay ahead for it is getting picked up in the first place. A fan won’t want it, and a curious spectator can find much better ways of sampling the menu.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
Sex and the City Essentials: Breakups is a little introduction type collection into the famed HBO series. Here we get three episodes about the various Breakups in the show. The first episode is entitled Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and is about Carrie deciding to chose her honesty first. This causes her to lose Aidan in the process. The second episode is entitled I Love a Charade and is about Samantha’s wrath for Richard. The final episode is entitled The Post-It Always Sticks Twice and is about ...he post- Post-it note night out.
Since Sex and the City is aired regularly on TBS, I can’t possibly imagine what HBO is trying to do with these sets. Anyone who is possibly interested in the show, even the smallest amount, can simple turn on their television and watch an episode to see if this comedy is in their ballpark. I could understand if the Essentials discs came with a few rare features about the three episodes on the disc to warrant spending the money. HBO defends this release, according to their website, with Now, old and new Sex and the City fans can relive some of the sexiest, most romantic, emotional and memorable episodes from the series with the Sex and the City Essentials. I think a true fan of the series would know where their favorite episodes are season-wise at this point.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
The yesteryears of Disney were full of classic movies from Aladdin to 101 Dalmations. Each of those films holds a special place in my heart due to its warmth and very colorful, cute story. Having never seen Lady and the Tramp before picking up this early copy, I didn’t know what to expect of the film. Many declare it to be one of Disney’s best, which is certainly a remark that is quite distinguished. Would Lady and the Tramp capture my emotions and heart like so many old, classic Disney fi...ms did years ago? Read on to find out.
The basic story to Lady and the Tramp is as follows. A man named Jim Dear gives his wife Darling a mysterious box for Christmas. Inside that box is the ever so cute little Cocker Spaniel puppy, which Darling decides to name Lady. Lady spends most of her period growing up with two neighborhood dogs, Trusty and Jock. One day a dog named Tramp walks over the railroad tracks. When Darling has a child, we are introduced to two super ugly and vicious cats, Si and Am, courtesy of Aunt Sarah. Due to these evil cats and the new baby, Lady winds up in the doghouse. What happens next is cinematic history. The Spaghetti scene and the start of a romance between Lady and Tramp.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
The Adventures of Superman – The Complete Second Season is the last of George Reeves’ Superman character. It’s also a loving tribute to a show that didn’t really deserve it. I respect television shows and movies from yesteryear – in many cases, I even prefer them – but it’s hard to justify the shallow plots and poor character development this show has to offer. I’m sure nostalgia buffs reading this are screaming “Blasphemy!” as we speak, but honestly… how can this show be justified on merits of good writing an... acting? It can’t. What I will give it is this – it reminds us of a simpler time, and sometimes, that warm fuzzy feeling is all a show needs to achieve for its recommendation. But Superman has been honored with much better incarnations than that of this short-lived series. Even the most recent cartoon puts our hero in more exciting scenarios, where a prevalent feeling of danger exists, and the different players all get a more sophisticated degree of characterization – all while appealing to children. So The Adventures of Superman can’t hide behind the idea of being a kids’ show… not for today’s audiences.
A viewer can appreciate it for what it is – in fact, I do. But appreciate or not, I find sitting through more than three episodes an arduous task – and there are 26 in this collection. By the time you lay it to rest, you’re tired of it, and that warm feeling of nostalgia has long since gone by the wayside. With that said, it’s an easy show to collect, and it will perhaps give anyone years of enjoyment, so long as it is taken in small doses. There is nothing beyond the quick feeling of days gone by to look forward to with this set, so even if you’re thinking marathon, you’ll be done with it after a couple of hours. One thing’s for sure – it isn’t like the “will they or won’t they” anticipation Lois and Clark or the Christopher Reeve films provide. Those incarnations were exciting and left you wanting more. With The Adventures of Superman, you’ll think, “All right, that’s enough” – dare I say it – faster than a speeding bullet.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
Synopsis
Lydia (Sara Wiseman) is in her thirties, is a costume designer, and is desperately in love and lust with her childhood friend Christian (Philip Brown), though he clearly doesn’t think of her in the same way. One day, on the run from an angry pursuer, Luella Miller (Sia Trokenheim) turns up in Lydia’s home, and our heroine gives the interloper shelter. She soon comes to regret this kindness, as Luella begins to weave a destructively sexual web around all the men in the small town, including C...ristian.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 21st, 2006
Jack Webb built an empire out of the police drama. Dragnet laid the foundation that 50 years of cop shows would stand upon. In 1972 Webb turned his attention to the relatively recent phenomenon of the paramedic. Based on a California law, the Wedsworth-Townsend Act, which created one of the first paramedic programs, Emergency brought the exploits of these young, daring rescue workers to our living rooms every week.
Roy DeSoto (Tighe) and John Gage (Mantooth) were pioneers in the paramedic field. They would be stationed out of L.A.’s real station 51. With each new episode we were treated to a standard formula that would include some kind of daring rescue, usually high above the ground. The episode would always feature a few hospital scenes were Dr. Brackett (Fuller) would deal with Rampart Hospital’s emergency room as well as guide the paramedics via radio in the field. Off the wall cases were common as well as humorous aspects of the firefighters’ lives at station 51.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on February 21st, 2006
David Lynch's Dune has an extremely odd past, which some might say is just how David Lynch likes it. This cult classic came out in 1984 to the joy of sci-fi fans everywhere. Some time after the film's release, the studio tried to get Lynch to take all of the extra footage that he had shot for the film, and re-cut the product into an extended TV-appropriate film. Lynch refused, but since the studio already owned the footage, they went ahead and cut it together themselves. The result is an "Alan Smithee" directe... version of Dune. (For those that may not know, "Alan Smithee" is a pseudonym often given to films that directors want to totally remove their names from, as a result of their films being re-cut by the studio against their wishes. A search for Alan Smithee on IMDB is a fascinating and often-times humorous look at what happens when the "business types" get involved in the creative process.)
Lynch further expressed his displeasure with this new cut of the film by crediting the screenwriter as "Judas Booth", a cross between the Judas from the bible who betrayed Jesus, and John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. In this way, Lynch made the statement that the studio had betrayed him and killed his film.
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