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Directed by:
Genre: Anime & Manga
Starring:
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: Unrated The two-disc Collector's Edition unites two linked stories, although the appearance of the characters and the style of direction change between them. Pai is the last Sanjiyan or holy demon: the rest were exterminated 300 years ago when their king, Kaiyanwang, turned to evil. She's spent the last three centuries trying to become human. In Japan, Pai meets Yakumo Fujii, whose scientist father discovered that transforming a Sanjiyan into a human requires the "Statue of Humanity." The evil creatures who hope to resurrect Kaiyanwang also want the Statue: Pai and Yakumo challenge them in a series of bloody battles. Pai turns Yakumo into a Wu, a spirit whose soul is bound to her own and who cannot be killed while she lives. Yakumo falls in love with her, although it's difficult to understand why. "Immortals" ends when Pai and Benares, Kaiyanwang's chief henchman, disappear in a violent explosion. Realizing that Pai must still be alive, Yakumo vows to search until he finds her again.
"Divine Demon" picks up the story four years later: Pa-Bo Ayanokoji believes she's a typical high school girl who likes to hang out with her friends. Her world is shattered when Yakumo reveals she is not a human, but Pai. Kaiyanwang is about to rise again, and his servants are trying to kill Pai, who can challenge his power. Pai's memories of her life in the blessed realm of Kunlun have been blocked by a spell; Yakumo takes her to Tibet to break it. Along the way, he fights assorted villains led by the sniggering Choukai. Pai and Yakumo cross the barrier to Kunlun with the aid of treasure hunter Jake Macdonald. There they battle both Choukai and Benares. Both stories end on weak notes, with enough plot strings left hanging to form a fringe. In "Immortals", the viewer never learns what becomes of the sinister Mrs. Wong, the Statue of Humanity, or Yakumo's group of friends. In "Divine Demon" the expected confrontation between Pai and Kaiyanwang fails to materialize. Contains these episodes: 1. "Transmigration," 2. "Yakumo," 3. "Sacrifice," 4. "Straying," 5. "Descent," 6. "The Key," 7. "The Return." Rated 16+: considerable violence, minor profanity, and nudity. "--Charles Solomon" Date added to my collection: 20 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated, Box set
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards, Jake Thomas, Jude Law, William Hurt, Ken Leung, Clark Gregg, Kevin Sussman, Tom Gallop, Eugene Osment, April Grace, Matt Winston, Sabrina Grdevich, Theo Greenly
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 History will place an asterisk next to "A.I." as the film Stanley Kubrick "might" have directed. But let the record also show that Kubrick--after developing this project for some 15 years--wanted Steven Spielberg to helm this astonishing sci-fi rendition of "Pinocchio", claiming (with good reason) that it veered closer to Spielberg's kinder, gentler sensibilities. Spielberg inherited the project (based on the Brian Aldiss short story "Supertoys Last All Summer Long") after Kubrick's death in 1999, and the result is an astounding directorial hybrid. A flawed masterpiece of sorts, in which Spielberg's gift for wondrous enchantment often clashes (and sometimes melds) with Kubrick's harsher vision of humanity, the film spans near and distant futures with the fairy-tale adventures of an artificial boy named David (Haley Joel Osment), a marvel of cybernetic progress who wants only to be a real boy, loved by his mother in that happy place called home.
Echoes of Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" are clearly heard as young David, shunned by his trial parents and tossed into an unfriendly world, is joined by fellow "mecha" Gigolo Joe (played with a dancer's agility by Jude Law) in his quest for a mother-and-child reunion. Parallels to "Pinocchio" intensify as David reaches "the end of the world" (a Manhattan flooded by melted polar ice caps), and a far-future epilogue propels "A.I." into even deeper realms of wonder, even as it pulls Spielberg back to his comfort zone of sweetness and soothing sentiment. Some may lament the diffusion of Kubrick's original vision, but this is Spielberg's "A.I." (complete with one of John Williams's finest scores), a film of astonishing technical wizardry that spans the spectrum of human emotions and offers just enough Kubrick to suggest that humanity's future is anything but guaranteed. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Special Edition
Directed by: James Cameron
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Captain Kidd Brewer Jr., George Robert Klek, Christopher Murphy, Adam Nelson, Dick Warlock, Jimmie Ray Weeks, J. Kenneth Campbell
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 Meticulously crafted but also ponderous and predictable, James Cameron's 1989 deep-sea close-encounter epic reaffirms one of the oldest first principles of cinema: everything moves a lot more slowly underwater. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as formerly married petroleum engineers who still have some "issues" to work out, are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) with a top-secret recovery operation: a nuclear sub has been ambushed and sunk, under mysterious circumstances, in some of the deepest waters on earth, and the petro-techies have the only submersible craft capable of diving down that far. Every image and every performance is painstakingly sharp and detailed (and the computerized water creatures are lovely) but the movie's lumbering pace is ultimately lethal. It's the audience that ends up feeling waterlogged. For a guy who likes guns as much as Cameron (his next film after all, was the body-count masterpiece "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"), it's interesting that the moral balance here is weighted heavily in favor of the can-do engineers; the military types are end-justifies-the-means amoralists, just like the weasely government bureaucrats in "Aliens". "--David Chute" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Box set
Directed by: Art Vitello, David Block (III)
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Rob Paulsen, R.J. Williams, Brian Cummings, Jason Marsden, David Faustino, Jim Cummings, Paul Winchell, Roger C. Carmel, Brett Johnson, Walker Edmiston, Tress MacNeille, Bill Scott, Christian Jacobs
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: NR A sort of "Care Bears" for the rough and tumble set, the "Adventures of the Gummi Bears" is an animated Disney adventure series about a group of cute, brave Gummi Bears who are committed to helping the good and fighting the wicked. In "A New Beginning," most humans assume that the Gummi Bears are mythical creatures dreamed up by past generations, but human page Cavin believes in their existence. When Cavin unwittingly stumbles upon the Gummi Bears' home while trying to escape from the ogres who populate the forest, the Gummi Bear medallion he inherited from his Grandfather unlocks the Great Book of Gummi and the secrets of the Gummis' lost magical powers. The Gummi Bears decide to share their magical gummiberry juice with Cavin and together they successfully repel the ogres. Thus begins an enduring friendship in which Cavin, the Gummi Bears, and, in later episodes, Princess Calla, join forces against evils that include ogres, dragons, wizards, and Duke Ighthorn, a loathsome villain who conspires with the ogres and is constantly scheming to seize Dunwyn Castle and become the new King. Much like the seven dwarves from "Snow White", each Gummi Bear has a distinct personality: there's the grumpy Gruffi, ever-hungry Tummi, bubbly Sunni, wise Zummi, crotchety Grammi, and youngest Cubbi Bear. Like many families comprised of opposing personalities, the Gummis' home life is tumultuous and often full of bickering, but the group can always be counted upon to work together to defeat whatever enemy threatens them, their friends, or the castle. Themes explored include teamwork, pride, greed, one-upmanship, prejudice, bossiness, and many more. This three-disc compilation includes the "Adventures of the Gummi Bears" first three seasons (1985-1987)--that's 47 episodes and 640-minutes of high adventure. (Ages 3 to 9) "--Tami Horiuchi" Date added to my collection: 01 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: Hiroaki Gôda
Genre: Art House & International
Starring: Bridget Hoffman, Kikuko Inoue, Masami Kikuchi, Tony Oliver, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Yumi Tôma, Aya Hisakawa, Sherry Lynn, William Bassett, Steven Jay Blum, Johnny Yong Bosch, Emily Brown, Melissa Charles, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Richard Epcar, Jonathan Fahn, Lynn Fischer, Yuriko Fuchizaki, Issei Futamata, Barbara Goodson, Stephanie Greene, Ilona Gyarmati, Yui Horie, Tara Jayne, Rumi Kasahara, Tokuyoshi Kawashima, Ayako Kawasumi, Steve Kramer, Kôichi Nagano, Hidetoshi Nakamura, Ikue Ootani, Bob Papenbrook, Richard Plantagenet, Debbie Rothstein, Kôichi Sakaguchi, Rei Sakuma, Tony Sarducci, Lia Sargent, Anne Sherman, Mio Shionoiri, Asako Shirakura, Steve Staley, Kan Tanaka, Julie Anne Taylor, Chloe Thornton, Kaori Tsuji, Hidenari Ugaki, Bo Williams, Akiko Yajima, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Kiyoyuki Yanada, Hiroshi Yanaka
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: NR Based on a "manga" by Kosuke Fujishima, "Oh My Goddess!" was made into a popular five-part OAV in 1993-94. Keiichi Morisato acquired the goddess Belldandy as a girlfriend in a charming, small-scale domestic comedy. The feature (2000) is set three years later: Keiichi has grown more attractive and less maladroit. Belldandy remains essentially unchanged--until she encounters Celestin, her former "mentor." Celestin rebelled against the powers of Heaven and was imprisoned. Having escaped, he wants to resume his rebellion and reformulate the universe according to his designs. The filmmakers attempt to link computer viruses with apocalyptic mythology and the relationship between Belldandy and Keiichi. Although they made an agreeably mismatched couple in the OAVs, Keiichi and Belldandy simply don't have enough depth as characters to challenge what amounts to a Lucifer figure or support such a baroque story line. Rated 13 Up: brief nudity, risqué humor, violence. "--Charles Solomon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by: Paul Sabella, Larry Leker
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Bebe Neuwirth, Charlie Sheen, Hamilton Camp, Steve Mackall, Dan Castellaneta, Dom DeLuise, Tony Jay, Jim Cummings, Wallace Shawn, Sheena Easton, George Hearn, Adam Wylie, Kevin Michael Richardson, Pat Corley, Marabina Jaimes, Bobby Di Cicco, Annette Helde, Maurice LaMarche
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G While it pales in comparison to the outstanding animation of its predecessor, Don Bluth's imaginative if somewhat graceless "All Dogs Go to Heaven", this 1995 sequel has some nice moments of its own. Charlie Sheen replaces Burt Reynolds as the voice of Charlie Barkin, the afterlife-stranded pooch who sought vengeance against his killer in the previous film but instead discovered the joys of earthly love and community. This time, a bored Charlie, looking for a little adventure, reteams with his old pal Itchy (voiced by Dom DeLuise) to retrieve Gabriel's Horn after it's stolen. Dropping down from Dog Heaven to take on his old nemesis (and killer), Carface (Ernest Borgnine), Charlie falls for a sexy Irish setter (Sheena Easton) and helps a boy caught in a jam. Featuring grand pop songs by the legendary songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, "All Dogs Go to Heaven 2" provides kids with a simpler story than Bluth's original film, as well as less unsettling violence. On the downside, director Paul Sabella, a Hanna-Barbera veteran who produced television's "The Smurfs", either can't or won't stretch much as an artist here. "--Tom Keogh" Date added to my collection: 02 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: Don Bluth
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Phillip Glasser, Dom DeLuise, Nehemiah Persoff, Erica Yohn, Amy Green, John Finnegan, Pat Musick, Cathianne Blore, Neil Ross, Madeline Kahn, Will Ryan, Christopher Plummer, Hal Smith, Alitzah
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G Don Bluth's "An American Tail" is based on the story of a young Russian mouse who is separated from his family in America and who later heads with his reunited kin out to the American West. It's pleasant, though not spectacular, and has its greatest problems in story development. Steven Spielberg produced with an eye toward creating animation hits outside of Disney, and he and Bluth certainly took a big step in that direction here. Kids like it a lot, and adults will warm to the sound of various familiar voices, such as Dom DeLuise as Tiger and Madeline Kahn as Gussie Mausheimer. It's also the source of the pop single "Somewhere Out There." "--Tom Keogh" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Meet Fievel. In his search to find his family, he discovered America.
Directed by: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Bernadette Peters, Kirsten Dunst, Angela Lansbury, Rick Jones, Andrea Martin, Glenn Walker Harris Jr., Debra Mooney, Arthur Malet, Charity James, Liz Callaway, Lacey Chabert, Jim Cummings, Jonathan Dokuchitz, Ellen Bernfeld, Ted Brunetti
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G A spellbinding mix of adventure, comedy, romance and music, this acclaimed animated spectacular tells the thrilling story of the lost Russian princess Anastasia and her quest to find her true identity. When the shadow of revolution falls across Russia, the royal family's youngest daughter barely escape with her life. Years later, Anastasia and a band of heroic companions must battle the evil Rasputin, his sidekick Bartok the bat and a host of ghostly minions in a headlong race to reach Paris, reclaim her rightful destiny and solve the greatest mystery of the 20th century. Date added to my collection: 01 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: Peter Howitt
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, Claire Forlani, Tim Robbins, Douglas McFerran, Richard Roundtree, Tygh Runyan, Yee Jee Tso, Nate Dushku, Ned Bellamy, Tyler Labine, Scott Bellis, David Lovgren, Zahf Paroo, Jonathon Young
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 The term "suspension of disbelief" was invented for the idea that Ryan Phillippe could be a computer genius. As Milo, a slacker brainiac recruited by smilingly ominous software giant Gary Winston (Tim Robbins) to help build a global communications system, Phillippe still looks like a million bucks. He is also still doing the clenched, pouty grown-up voice that he always uses to show that he means business in this acting stuff (he's nothing if not earnest), and a pair of designer glasses completes the transformation. He's well matched in "Antitrust" by Claire Forlani, who, in turn, spends time pursing her lips and squinting her dewy eyes as Milo's troubled girlfriend, an artist who proves to be a liability when Milo discovers that Winston is killing off clever competitors like a dot-com fÜhrer. Robbins, looking like David Letterman, seems willing to either take his role dead seriously or goof around a bit, but director Peter Howitt doesn't know how to play any of it (the actor was better used as a grinning madman in another flawed paranoid thriller, the underseen "Arlington Road"). Without any underlying menace or enough satirical bite to keep it interesting, the whole thing slips by passively in a mindless matinee kind of way until the over-the-top finale. Production designer Catherine Hardwicke has had some big, glossy fun creating Winston's campus and ornate private kingdom, and there's the cheapest of kicks in seeing Robbins's Bill Gates taken down publicly, but the film is definitely junior league. "--Steve Wiecking" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Special Edition
Directed by: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Jane Curtin, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Jennifer Lopez, John Mahoney, Paul Mazursky, Grant Shaud, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Christopher Walken, Jim Cummings, April Winchell
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG Woody Allen as a worker ant with an inferiority complex? Sylvester Stallone as an affable soldier ant who discovers that digging tunnels is cool? The animation playground we all knew so well is turning into a theme park full of in-jokes for grownups. "Antz" explores age-old topics (one person--err, insect--can make a difference, individuality and social responsibility must exist side by side, war is hell) with comic asides and Woody Allen's funniest quips this side of PG (adults will chuckle at the socialist slogans bandied about as he campaigns for workers' rights). Sharon Stone voices the rebellious princess with a fun-loving streak that doesn't quite overcome her royal bearing and court training, but she can learn. Gene Hackman is all teeth (ants have teeth?) and menacing grins as the Army general plotting insect-icide. This bug's-eye view of life on Earth gives Allen's neurotic nonconformist an epic adventure of microscopic proportions: a devastating war with a termite colony, an odyssey to the fabled land of plenty (a picnic ground), and a race to save his fellow workers from certain death. Other voices include Anne Bancroft as the Queen, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Lopez, Danny Glover, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, and John Mahoney. The computer animation isn't exactly realistic but feels as solid and contoured as puppet animation with the smoothness and slickness of traditional cel cartoons, and the character designs and animation offer a marvelous range of expressions. The PG rating includes a gritty battle sequence that may frighten youngsters. "--Sean Axmaker" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by: Mark Pellington
Genre: Drama
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis, Robert Gossett, Mason Gamble, Spencer Treat Clark, Stanley Anderson, Viviane Vives, Lee Stringer, Darryl Cox, Loyd Catlett, Sid Hillman, Auden Thornton, Mary Ashleigh Green
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R It's easy to understand why "Arlington Road" sat on the studio shelf for nearly a year. No, the film isn't awful; rather, it's an extremely edgy and ultimately bleak thriller that offers no clear-cut heroes or villains. In other words, Hollywood had no idea how to sell it. Director Mark Pellington's underrated directorial debut, "Going All the Way," suffered the same fate, essentially because the filmmaker's presentation of suburban America often shifts dramatically within the same film. Characters are usually miserable and bordering on meltdown, no situation is straightforward, and things usually end badly. "Arlington Road" begins as an astute study of suburban paranoia. Michael Faraday (a face-pinched Jeff Bridges, who spends most of the film on the brink of tears) is a college professor who teaches American history courses on terrorism. He's been a conspiracy freak since his wife, an FBI agent, was killed during a botched raid that feels like a thinly fictionalized reference to the Waco tragedy. After saving the life of his next-door neighbor's child, he initially befriends the family (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack), but soon believes the husband is a terrorist. The first half of the film mocks Faraday: he has no real evidence and is not the most stable of protagonists. Despite the fact that it was government paranoia that got his wife killed, Faraday repeats the same type of behavior. Pellington shifts gears in the second half, however, and for awhile, it seems that the film has simultaneously sunk into a cheap, high-octane brand of Hollywood entertainment and undermined its own point. "Arlington Road", though, possesses a stunning ending that's a real gut punch, one that may leave you needing a second viewing to catch all of its smartly executed setup. "--Dave McCoy" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Fear Thy Neighbor
Directed by: Jay Roach
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Fabiana Udenio, Mindy Sterling, Paul Dillon, Charles Napier, Will Ferrell, Joann Richter, Anastasia Sakelaris, Afifi Alaouie, Monet Mazur
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 If you don't think "Austin Powers" is one of the funniest movies of the 1990s, maybe you should be packed into a cryogenic time-chamber and sent back to the decade whence you came. Perhaps it was the 1960s--the shag-a-delic decade when London hipster Austin Powers scored with gorgeous chicks as a fashion photographer by day, crime-fighting international man of mystery by night. Yeah, baby, yeah! But when Powers's arch nemesis, Dr. Evil, puts himself into a deep-freeze and travels via time-machine to the late 1990s, Powers must follow him and foil Evil's nefarious scheme of global domination. Mike Myers plays dual roles as Powers and Dr. Evil, with Elizabeth Hurley as his present-day sidekick and karate- kicking paramour. A hilarious spoof of '60s spy movies, this colorful comedy actually gets funnier with successive viewings, making it a perfect home video for gloomy days and randy nights. Oh, be"have"! "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: If he were any cooler, he'd still be frozen, baby!
Directed by: Jay Roach
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Rob Lowe, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer, Elizabeth Hurley, Gia Carides, Oliver Muirhead, George Cheung, Jeffrey Meng, Muse Watson, Scott Cooper
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 "I put the grrr in swinger, baby!" a deliciously randy Austin Powers coos near the beginning of "The Spy Who Shagged Me", and if the imagination of Austin creator Mike Myers seems to have sagged a bit, his energy surely hasn't. This friendly, go-for-broke sequel to 1997's "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" finds our man Austin heading back to the '60s to keep perennial nemesis Dr. Evil (Myers again) from blowing up the world--and, more importantly, to get back his mojo, that man-juice that turns Austin into irresistible catnip for women, especially American spygirl Felicity Shagwell (a pretty but vacant Heather Graham). The plot may be irreverent and illogical, the jokes may be bad (with characters named Ivana Humpalot and Robin Swallows, née Spitz), and the scenes may run on too long, but it's all delivered sunnily and with tongue firmly in cheek.
Myers's true triumph, though, is his turn as the neurotic Dr. Evil, who tends to spout the right cultural reference at exactly the wrong time (referring to his moon base as a "Death Star" with Moon Units Alpha and Zappa--in 1969). Myers teams Dr. Evil with a diminutive clone, Mini-Me (Verne J. Troyer), who soon replaces slacker son Scott Evil (Seth Green) as the apple of the doctor's eye; Myers and Troyer work magic in what could plausibly be one of the year's most affecting (and hysterically funny) love stories. Despite a stellar supporting cast--including a sly Rob Lowe as Robert Wagner's younger self and Mindy Sterling as the forbidding Frau Farbissina--it's basically Myers's show, and he pulls a hat trick by playing a third character, the obese and disgusting Scottish assassin Fat Bastard. Many viewers will reel in disgust at Mr. Bastard's repulsive antics and the scatological bent Myers indulges in, including one showstopper involving coffee and--shudder--a stool sample. Still, Myers's good humor and dead-on cultural references win the day; Austin is one spy who proves he can still shag like a minx. "--Mark Englehart" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: First, he fought for the Crown. Now he's fighting for the Family Jewels.
Directed by: Jay Roach
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Mike Myers, Beyoncé Knowles, Seth Green, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer, Michael Caine, Fred Savage, Diane Mizota, Carrie Ann Inaba, Nobu Matsuhisa, Aaron Himelstein, Josh Zuckerman, Eddie Adams
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 Despite symptoms of sequelitis, "Austin Powers in Goldmember" is must-see lunacy for devoted fans of the shagadelic franchise. Unfortunately, the law of diminishing returns is in full effect: for every big-name cameo and raunchy double-entendre, there's an equal share of redundant shtick, juvenile scatology, and pop-cultural spoofery. All is forgiven when the hilarity level is consistently high, and Mike Myers--returning here as randy Brit spy Austin, his nemesis Dr. Evil, the bloated Scottish henchman Fat Bastard, and new Dutch disco-villain Goldmember--thrives by favoring comedic chaos over coherent plotting. Once they've tossed Austin into the disco fever of 1975 (where he's sent to rescue his father, gamely played by Michael Caine), Myers and director Jay Roach seem vaguely adrift with old and new characters, including Verne Troyer's Mini-Me and pop star Beyoncé Knowles as Pam Grier-ish blaxpo-babe Foxxy Cleopatra. A bit tired, perhaps, but Powers hasn't lost his mojo. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: On July 26th the Secret Will Be Exposed
Directed by: Phil Weinstein
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Sean Astin, Jodi Benson, Keith Carradine, Bill Fagerbakke, Charles Fleischer, Charity James, Maurice LaMarche, Kathy Najimy, David Paymer, Kevin Schon, Jean Smart, Carl Weathers, Josh Shada
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G Sled dog Balto may have retired in this second sequel to "Balto", but our hero's sense of compassion and keen intellect have not diminished with time. When a new flying machine makes an appearance in the small Alaskan towns of Nome and White Mountain, it looks as if Kodi (Balto's son who is now a sled dog in his own right); the rest of the dog team, and their human Mushers will shortly be stripped of their duties as mail carriers. Refusing to be dismissed without a fight, the dogs and their Mushers challenge pilot Duke to a race and call Balto out of retirement to lead the team. When bad weather causes unexpected problems for the plane, it's up to the wise and courageous Balto to save Duke from certain death. An amusing sub-plot features Boris, a snow goose who's afraid of heights, and Stella, a seductress goose who's bent on winning Boris's affection. Voice talent featured in this 79-minute, animated program includes Sean Astin, Jean Smart, Keith Carradine, Kathy Najimy, and David Paymer. (Ages 3 to 10) "--Tami Horiuchi" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by: David Hand, Wilfred Jackson
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey, Peter Behn, Thelma Boardman, Janet Chapman, Jeanne Christy, Dolyn Bramston Cook, Marion Darlington, Tim Davis, Donnie Dunagan, Sam Edwards, Ann Gillis, Sterling Holloway, Jack Horner, Thelma Hubbard, Cammie King, Mary Lansing, Margaret Lee, Babs Nelson, Donald Novis, Sandra Lee Richards, Francesca Santoro, Fred Shields, Bobby Stewart, John Sutherland, Paula Winslowe, Elouise Wohlwend, Will Wright
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G It always comes up when people are comparing their most traumatic movie experiences: "the death of Bambi's mother," a recollection that can bring a shudder to even the most jaded filmgoer. That primal separation (which is no less stunning for happening off-screen) is the centerpiece of "Bambi", Walt Disney's 1942 animated classic, but it is by no means the only bold stroke in the film. In its swift but somehow leisurely 69 minutes, "Bambi" covers a year in the life of a young deer. But in a bigger way, it measures the life cycle itself, from birth to adulthood, from childhood's freedom to grown-up responsibility. All of this is rendered in cheeky, fleet-footed style--the movie doesn't lecture, or make you feel you're being fed something that's good for you. The animation is miraculous, a lush forest in which nature is a constantly unfolding miracle (even in a spectacular fire, or those dark moments when "man was in the forest"). There are probably easier animals to draw than a young deer, and the Disney animators set themselves a challenge with Bambi's wobbly glide across an ice-covered lake, his spindly legs akimbo; but the sequence is effortless and charming. If Bambi himself is just a bit dull--such is the fate of an Everydeer--his rabbit sidekick Thumper and a skunk named Flower more than make up for it. Many of the early Disney features have their share of lyrical moments and universal truths, but "Bambi" is so simple, so pure, it's almost transparent. You might borrow a phrase from Thumper and say it's downright twitterpated. "--Robert Horton" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated, Special Edition
Directed by: Brian Pimental
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Alexander Gould, Andrea Bowen, Anthony Ghannam
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G A sequel to the 1942 Disney classic, "Bambi", is laden with expectations since audiences are justifiably protective of this beloved tale abounding with enchantment and nostalgia. Rest assured: "Bambi II" rises to the occasion, succeeding at every turn. Brian Pimental directs the 70-minute direct-to-video release, which seamlessly integrates the beauty, subtlety, and essence of the original film. The new tale is actually a "midquel" as it takes place in the middle of the original film's story line, exploring Bambi's coming-of-age challenges. The saga begins soon after Bambi's mother has died--and for viewers who shudder at the thought of having to relive that traumatic movie experience, you won't. With gentle inferences to her passing, Bambi (voiced by Alexander Gould, "Finding Nemo") is left to the clumsy-though-well-meaning care of his father, the Great Prince (voiced by Patrick Stewart) who faces the difficult task of raising a son while silently mourning his own loss. Yet the weighty subject of death is soon overshadowed by the wonders of forest life. Through skillful storytelling, the film takes an early turn toward levity. After all, it's spring and Bambi's familiar friends, Thumper and Flower, are ready to play. Especially charming are the scenes where the forest animals give each other lessons in bravery and soon have a chance to test their mettle in scuffles with a newcomer to the mix, a blustering bully named Ronno (voiced by Anthony Ghannam). A strong soundtrack includes selections by Martina McBride, Michelle Lewis, Alison Krauss, and Anthony Callea. There is even a nostalgic nod to the original composer, Frank Churchill, with "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song." The film's strength, however, is in its well-crafted humor: simple one-liners and animated antics that refrain from 21st century trends to cloak inappropriate innuendoes and double entendres in G-rated clothing, hoping to pander to an adult audience. This is vintage Disney; it panders to no one yet pleases all--delightfully worth the wait. The DVD's bonus material includes a "making-of" featurette, Bambi trivia, and a mini-tutorial with a Disney animator. (All ages) "--Lynn Gibson" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by: Stephen Norrington
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Donal Logue, Udo Kier, Arly Jover, Traci Lords, Kevin Patrick Walls, Tim Guinee, Sanaa Lathan, Eric Edwards, Donna Wong, Carmen Thomas, Shannon Lee
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R The recipe for "Blade" is quite simple; you take one part "Batman", one part horror flick, and two parts kung fu and frost it all over with some truly campy acting. What do you get? An action flick that will reaffirm your belief that the superhero action genre did not die in the fluorescent hands of Joel Schumacher. "Blade" is the story of a ruthless and supreme vampire slayer (Wesley Snipes) who makes other contemporary slayers (Buffy "et al.") look like amateurs. Armed with a samurai sword made of silver and guns that shoot silver bullets, he lives to hunt and kill "Sucker Heads." Pitted against our hero is a cast of villains led by Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), a crafty and charismatic vampire who believes that his people should be ruling the world, and that the human race is merely the food source they prey on. Born half-human and half-vampire after his mother had been attacked by a blood-sucker, Blade is brought to life by a very buff-looking Snipes in his best action performance to date. Apparent throughout the film is the fluid grace and admirable skill that Snipes brings to the many breathtaking action sequences that lift this movie into a league of its own. The influence of Hong Kong action cinema is clear, and you may even notice vague impressions of Japanese "anime" sprinkled innovatively throughout. Dorff holds his own against Snipes as the menacing nemesis Frost, and the grizzly Kris Kristofferson brings a tough, cynical edge to his role as Whistler, Blade's mentor and friend. Ample credit should also go to director Stephen Norrington and screenwriter David S. Goyer, who prove it is possible to adapt comic book characters to the big screen without making them look absurd. Indeed, quite the reverse happens here: Blade comes vividly to life from the moment you first see him, in an outstanding opening sequence that sets the tone for the action-packed film that follows. From that moment onward you are pulled into the world of Blade and his perpetual battle against the vampire race. "--Jeremy Storey" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Special Edition
Directed by: David S. Goyer
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Dominic Purcell, Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds, Parker Posey, Mark Berry, John Michael Higgins, Callum Keith Rennie, Paul Levesque, Paul Anthony, Françoise Yip, Michael Rawlins, James Remar, Natasha Lyonne
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R Even skeptical fans of the "Blade" franchise will enjoy sinking their teeth into "Blade: Trinity". The law of diminishing returns is in full effect here, and the franchise is wearing out its welcome, but let's face it: any movie that features Jessica Biel as an ass-kicking vampire slayer and Parker Posey--yes, Parker Posey!--as a vamping vampire villainess can't be all bad, right? Those lovely ladies bring equal measures of relief and grief to Blade, the half-human, half-vampire once again played, with tongue more firmly in stone-cold cheek, by Wesley Snipes. With series writer David S. Goyer in the director's chair, the film is calculated for mainstream appeal, trading suspenseful horror for campy humor and choppy, nonsensical action. The franchise still offers some intriguing ideas, however, including Drake (Dominic Purcell), the original vampire, whose blood contains the secret that could destroy all blood-suckers in a plot that incorporates a sinister "blood farm" where humans are held--and drained--in suspended animation. And Biel's wise-cracking sidekick (Ryan Reynolds) in her cadre of "Nightstalkers" provides comic relief in a series that's grown increasingly dour. All of which makes "Blade: Trinity" a love-it-or-hate-it sequel... supposedly the last in a trilogy, but the ending suggests otherwise. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: The final hunt begins.
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Norman Reedus, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Goss, Matt Schulze, Danny John-Jules, Donnie Yen, Karel Roden, Marit Velle Kile, Tony Curran, Daz Crawford, Santiago Segura
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R Aptly described by critic Roger Ebert as "a vomitorium of viscera," "Blade II" takes the express route to sequel success. So if you enjoyed "Blade", you'll probably drool over this monster mash, which is anything but boring. Set (and filmed) in Prague, the plot finds a new crop of "Reaper" vampires threatening to implement a viral breeding program, and they're nearly impervious to attacks by Blade (Wesley Snipes), his now-revived mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), and a small army of "normal" vampires who routinely combust in a constant conflagration of spectacular special effects. It's up to Blade to conquer the "über"-vamps, and both Snipes and director Guillermo del Toro ("Mimic") serve up a nonstop smorgasbord of intensely choreographed action, creepy makeup, and graphic ultraviolence. It's sadistic, juvenile, numbing, and--for those who dig this kind of thing--undeniably impressive. With the ever-imposing Ron Perlman as a vampire villain. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Special Edition
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Mike McGlone, Luis Guzmán, Leland Orser, John Benjamin Hickey, Bobby Cannavale, Ed O'Neill, Richard Zeman, Olivia Birkelund, Gary Swanson, James Bulleit, Frank Fontaine
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R Released in late 1999, "The Bone Collector" was originally promoted as a thriller in the tradition of "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Seven", suggesting that it would earn a place among those earlier, better films. Nice try, but no cigar. "The Bone Collector" settles instead for mere competence and the modest rewards of a well-handled formula. With a terrific cast at his service, director Phillip Noyce ("Dead Calm", "Patriot Games") turns the pulpy indulgence of Jeffery Deaver's novel into a slick potboiler that is grisly fun only if you don't pick it apart.
Noyce expertly builds palpable tension around a series of gruesome murders that lead us into the darkest nooks of New York City. Now a bedridden quadriplegic prone to life-threatening seizures and suicidal depression, forensics detective Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) gets a new lease on life with a sharp young beat cop (Angelina Jolie) who's a wizard at analyzing crime scenes. She does field work while he deciphers clues from his high-tech Manhattan loft, and as they narrow the search their lives are increasingly endangered. As this formulaic plot grows moldy, Noyce resorts to narrative shortcuts, using perfunctory scenes to manipulate the viewer and taking morbid pleasure in his revelation of the murder scenes. And yet it all works, to a point, and the cast (including Queen Latifah and Luiz Guzmán) is much better than the material. If you're looking for a few good thrills, "The Bone Collector" is a pretty safe bet. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Two cops on the trail of a brutal killer. They must see as one, they must act as one, they must think as one, before the next victim falls.
Directed by: Peter Hewitt
Genre: Comedy
Starring: John Goodman, Mark Williams, Jim Broadbent, Celia Imrie, Flora Newbigin, Tom Felton, Raymond Pickard, Bradley Pierce, Aden Gillett, Doon Mackichan, Hugh Laurie, Ruby Wax, Andrew Dunford, Bob Goody, Patrick Monckton, Dick Ward, George Yiasoumi, Alex Winter, Michael Hewitt, Simon Hewitt
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG The popular children's books by Mary Norton have been filmed before, but never with as much imagination and ingenuity as you'll find on display in this delightful fantasy film released to critical praise in 1998. The "Borrowers" of the title are a family of tiny people who live in the walls and under the floorboards in the homes of "normal-sized" humans; they earn their by "borrowing" the household items (string, food crumbs, buttons, etc.) needed to furnish their tiny hiding places and provide their meals. The little Clock family lives happily undisturbed in the home of an aged aunt, but when the aunt dies and her will is stolen by an unscrupulous lawyer (John Goodman), the Clocks face eviction and the frightening hazards of the outside world. Under the ingenious direction of Peter Hewitt, this simple, straightforward movie mixes comedy, adventure, and suspense with some of the cleverest special effects you've ever seen, taking full advantage of effects technologies to immerse you in the world of the tiny people. A climactic chase scene in a milk-bottling plant is a visual tour de force, and the movie's smart and dazzling enough to entertain parents and children alike. After its modest success in theaters, "The Borrowers" stands a good chance of becoming a home-video favorite. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 01 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: Robert Walker (VII), Aaron Blaise
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney, Joan Copeland, Michael Clarke Duncan, Harold Gould, Paul Christie, Daniel Mastrogiorgio, Estelle Harris, Greg Proops, Pauley Perrette, Darko Cesar
My Rating: 4/5
Rated: G "Brother Bear" has a dramatic story--after he kills a bear, a young hunter named Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix, "Gladiator") in prehistoric North America is turned into a bear himself and hunted by his own brother--but the animated movie's tone is more earnest and warm than tragic, focusing on the unfolding relationship between Kenai and an orphaned bear cub named Koda (voiced by Jeremy Suarez). However, it's often the comic supporting characters who prove the most popular, and a pair of moose voiced by Rick Moranis and Doug Thomas in their McKenzie brothers/Canadian dude mode (from "SCTV" and the movie "Strange Brew") will win many fans. The songs by Phil Collins are typically negligible, but the hand-drawn animation is lush (occasional flashes of computer-generated animation clash with the movie's overall look). Kids will also enjoy the mammoths; no sabre-toothed tigers, unfortunately. "--Bret Fetzer" Date added to my collection: 31 Jan 2006
My Comments: Special Edition
Directed by: John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere, Phyllis Diller, Richard Kind, David Hyde Pierce, Joe Ranft, Denis Leary, Jonathan Harris, Madeline Kahn, Bonnie Hunt, Michael McShane, John Ratzenberger, Brad Garrett
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G There was such a magic on the screen in 1995 when the people at Pixar came up with the first fully computer-animated film, "Toy Story". Their second feature film, "A Bug's Life", may miss the bull's-eye but Pixar's target is so lofty, it's hard to find the film anything less than irresistible.
Brighter and more colorful than the other animated insect movie of 1998 ("Antz"), "A Bug's Life" is the sweetly told story of Flik (voiced by David Foley), an ant searching for better ways to be a bug. His colony unfortunately revolves around feeding and fearing the local grasshoppers (lead by Hopper, voiced with gleeful menace by Kevin Spacey). When Flik accidentally destroys the seasonal food supply for the grasshoppers he decides to look for help ("We need bigger bugs!"). The ants, led by Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), are eager to dispose of the troublesome Flik. Yet he finds help--a hearty bunch of bug warriors--and brings them back to the colony. Unfortunately they are just traveling performers afraid of conflict.
As with "Toy Story", the ensemble of creatures and voices is remarkable and often inspired. Highlights include wiseacre comedian Denis Leary as an un-ladylike ladybug, Joe Ranft as the German-accented caterpillar, David Hyde Pierce as a stick bug, and Michael McShane as a pair of unintelligible pillbugs. The scene-stealer is Atta's squeaky-voiced sister, baby Dot (Hayden Panettiere), who has a big sweet spot for Flik.
More gentle and kid-friendly than "Antz", "A Bug Life's" still has some good suspense and a wonderful demise of the villain. However, the film--a giant worldwide hit--will be remembered for its most creative touch: "outtakes" over the end credits à la many live-action comedy films. These dozen or so scenes (both "editions" of outtakes are contained here) are brilliant and deserve a special place in film history right along with 1998's other most talked-about sequence: the opening Normandy invasion in "Saving Private Ryan".
The video and DVD also contain Pixar's delightful Oscar-winning short, "Geri's Game". "--Doug Thomas" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Mayumi Tanaka, James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, Keiko Yokozawa, Kotoe Hatsui, Cloris Leachman, Mark Hamill, Minori Terada, Richard A. Dysart, Fujio Tokita, Jim Cummings, Ichirô Nagai, John Hostetter, Hiroshi Ito, Machiko Washio
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: Unrated Inspired by "Gulliver's Travels," the fantasy-adventure "Castle in the Sky" (1986) was Hayao Miyazaki's third feature, and helped to establish his reputation as a visionary in both Japan and America. The orphan Sheeta inherited a mysterious crystal that links her to the legendary sky-kingdom of Laputa. With the help of resourceful Pazu and a rollicking band of sky pirates, she makes her way to the ruins of the once-great civilization. Sheeta and Pazu must outwit the evil Muska, who plans to use Laputa's science to make himself ruler of the world. "Castle" echoes elements in Myazaki's earlier "Nausicaä", and anticipates imagery in his later films, from "My Neighbor Totoro" to "Spirited Away". Disney's new English dub, which features Anna Paquin (Sheeta), James Van Der Beek (Pazu), and Cloris Leachman (pirate matriarch Dola), is lively and close in tone to the original Japanese, if a bit talkier. The exciting flying sequences, appealing characters, and fantastic vision of a steam-powered future Jules Verne might have imagined make "Castle in the Sky" a must-have for fans of Japanese and Western animation. (Unrated: suitable for ages 10 and older: violence) "--Charles Solomon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by: Hiroyuki Morita
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Aki Maeda, Takayuki Yamada, Hitomi Sato, Kenta Satoi, Mari Hamada, Tetsu Watanabe, Yôsuke Saitô, Kumiko Okae, Tetsuro Tamba, Yo Oizumi, Youko Honna, Ken Yasuda, Rene Auberjonois, Kristen Bell, Greg Berg, Andrew Bevis, Peter Boyle, Erin Chambers, Robert Clotworthy, Katia Coe, Kathryn Cressida, Tim Curry, Terri Douglas, Courtnee Draper, Cary Elwes, Elliott Gould, Judy Greer, Jason Harris, Anne Hathaway, Brian Herskowitz, Mona Marshall, Randy Montgomery, Bradley Pierce, Andy Richter, Kristine Sutherland, Diz White
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G "The Cat Returns" (2002) brings back Muta, the cranky fat cat, and Baron von Gikkingen, the elegant statue, from the feature "Whisper of the Heart" (1995). On her way home from school, Haru, a confused 17-year-old, prevents an elegant gray cat from being hit by a truck. She's inadvertently saved the life of Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom, and his royal father decides to thank her. He fills her locker with gift-wrapped mice and decides she should come to his kingdom and marry Lune. Haru seeks help from the Cat Bureau, and eventually returns to relatively normal life, with the assistance of Muta and the Baron.
"The Cat Returns" recalls "Whisper of the Heart" and Takashi Nakamura's "Catnapped", but it offers neither the wistful charm of the former nor the bold visual imagination of the latter. Hayao Miyazaki has been seeking young directors for Studio Ghibli for several years. After preparing the script and storyboards for "Whisper", he turned the film over to Yoshifumi Kondo, who died tragically shortly after the film's release. "The Cat Returns" was directed by Hiroyuki Morita, who shows promise, but lacks Kondo's elegant sensibility. The DVD extras include a fulsome making-of documentary, Morita's voluminous storyboards, and mini-interviews with the vocal cast that includes Tim Curry, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle, and Elliott Gould. (Rated G: minor scary imagery and cartoon violence) "--Charles Solomon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Neko ni nattemo, iin janai?
Directed by: Mark Dindal
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Scott Bakula, Natalie Cole, Jasmine Guy
My Rating: 2/5
Rated: G Actually, cats do dance, and there are a lot of little cat feet tapping all over this odd animated film. Complaints about originality can't be leveled here; the film works within the confines of the musical genre, but there's never really been anything like this. Danny the cat is from Kokomo, and he's got a short list of things he has to do to become a big star in Hollywood. Unfortunately, he's unaware that animals, even talented ones, aren't even considered for showy parts in films. They're considered window dressing for humans, especially big stars such as Darla Dimple, the unlikely antagonist here. The music is by Randy Newman, and it's not really his best, but toe tapping may occur. The animation is reminiscent of an upgraded "Animaniacs", and there's a frenetic, jittery sense to the scenes (mostly dealing with slapstick humor). Older fans of animation or bygone Hollywood will have much more to appreciate here than small children, but that's refreshing in itself. "--Keith Simanton" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by: Tim Burton
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter, Noah Taylor, Missi Pyle, James Fox, Deep Roy, Christopher Lee, Adam Godley, Franziska Troegner, AnnaSophia Robb, Julia Winter, Jordan Fry, Philip Wiegratz, Blair Dunlop, Liz Smith, Eileen Essell, David Morris (XVI), Nitin Ganatra
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG Mixed reviews and creepy comparisons to Michael Jackson notwithstanding, Tim Burton's splendidly imaginative adaptation of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" would almost surely meet with Roald Dahl's approval. The celebrated author of darkly offbeat children's books vehemently disapproved of 1971's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (hence the change in title), so it's only fitting that Burton and his frequent star/collaborator, Johnny Depp, should have another go, infusing the enigmatic candyman's tale with their own unique brand of imaginative oddity. Depp's pale, androgynous Wonka led some to suspect a partial riff on that most controversial of eternal children, Michael Jackson, but Burton's film is too expansively magnificent to be so narrowly defined. While preserving Dahl's morality tale on the hazards of indulgent excess, Burton's riotous explosion of color provides a wondrous setting for the lessons learned by Charlie Bucket (played by Freddie Highmore, Depp's delightful costar in "Finding Neverland"), as he and other, less admirable children enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime tour of Wonka's confectionary wonderland. Elaborate visual effects make this an eye-candy overdose (including digitally multiplied Oompa-Loompas, all played by diminutive actor Deep Roy), and the film's underlying weirdness is exaggerated by Depp's admirably risky but ultimately off-putting performance. Of course, none of this stops Burton's "Charlie" from being the must-own family DVD of 2005's holiday season, perhaps even for those who staunchly defend Gene Wilder's portrayal of Wonka from 34 years earlier. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 01 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: McG
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Kelly Lynch, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, John Forsythe, Matt LeBlanc, Tom Green, LL Cool J, Sean Whalen, Tim Dunaway
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 For every TV-into-movie success like "The Fugitive", there are dozens of uninspired films like "The Mod Squad". Happily--and surprisingly--this breezy update of the seminal '70s jiggle show falls into the first category, with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore (who also produced), and Lucy Liu starring as the hair-tossing, fashion-setting, kung fu-fighting trio employed by the mysterious Charlie (voiced by the original Charlie, John Forsythe). When a high-tech programmer (Sam Rockwell) is kidnapped, the angels seek out the suspects, with the daffy Bosley (Bill Murray in a casting coup) in tow. A happy, cornball popcorn flick, "Charlie's Angels" is played for laughs with plenty of ribbing references to the old TV show as well as modern caper films like "Mission: Impossible". McG, a music video director making his feature film debut (usually a death warrant for a movie's integrity), infuses the film with plenty of "Matrix"-style combat pyrotechnics, and the result is the first successful all-American Hong Kong-style action flick. Plenty of movies boast a New Age feminism that has their stars touting their sexuality while being their own women, but unlike something as obnoxious as "Coyote Ugly", "Angels" succeeds with a positive spin on Girl Power for the new millennium (Diaz especially sizzles in her role of crack super agent/airhead blonde). From the send-up of the TV show's credit sequence to the outtakes over the end credits, "Charlie's Angels" is a delight. "--Doug Thomas" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Get Some Action
Directed by: McG
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bernie Mac, Crispin Glover, Justin Theroux, Robert Patrick, Demi Moore, Rodrigo Santoro, Shia LaBeouf, Matt LeBlanc, Luke Wilson, John Cleese, Ja'net DuBois, Cheung-Yan Yuen
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" is a big, fun, bubble-brained mess of a movie, and that's exactly as it should be. Its popular 2000 predecessor got the formula right: gorgeous babes, throwaway plots, and as many current pop-cultural trends as you could stuff into a candy-coated dollop of Hollywood mayhem. This sequel goes one "better": The plot's even more disposable (if that's possible), the babes, cars, and fashions even more outlandish, and the stuntwork (heavily digital, heavily absurd) reaches astonishing heights of cartoon silliness. Reprising their titular (and shamelessly titillating) roles, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu are having the time of their lives, especially when sparring with ultra-buff rogue angel Demi Moore (looking better at 40 than most women half her age) and Justin Theroux as a sleazy Irish mobster. Bernie Mac replaces Bill Murray as angel-sidekick Bosley (they're step-brothers, don'cha know), which is one more indication of McG's intentionally reckless stewardship of an intentionally reckless franchise. Our advice: sit back, relax, and get jiggly with it. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Special Edition
Directed by:
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Disney
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G A classic fable gets fused with "War of the Worlds" in Disney's "Chicken Little". In the small town of Oakey Oaks, young Chicken Little (voiced by Zach Braff, "Garden State") struggles to live down the embarrassment of having once thought the sky was falling. But when he gets struck again by a hexagonal, sky-camouflaged, hi-tech doohickey, he and his friends Ugly Duckling (Joan Cusack, "School of Rock"), Runt of the Litter (Steve Zahn, "Sahara"), and Fish Out of Water discover that aliens are preparing to invade Earth--but since no one believed Chicken Little the first time, why would they believe him now? Though kids will enjoy the bright whizz-bang action sequences of "Chicken Little", discerning parents will find the movie tedious. Technically, it has the computer animation quality of Pixar--but with none of their intelligence, heart, or simple storytelling skill. The basic idea of connecting the fable to aliens is amusing, but the script routinely bogs down in clumsy father-son issues that seem like material edited out of "Finding Nemo". The jokes rarely have anything to do with the characters, but are mostly pop-culture references that are sadly out of date. The action sequences were obviously created with the inevitable video game in mind, for which the movie is little more than an advertisement. "Chicken Little" falls flat. "--Bret Fetzer" Date added to my collection: 01 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: Andrew Adamson
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Kiran Shah, James Cosmo, Judy McIntosh, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Patrick Kake, Shane Rangi, Brandon Cook (III), Cassie Cook, Morris Lupton, Shelly Edwards, Susan Haldane, Margaret Bremner, Jaxin Hall
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG C.S. Lewis's classic novel "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" makes an ambitious and long-awaited leap to the screen in this modern adaptation. It's a CGI-created world laden with all the special effects and visual wizardry modern filmmaking technology can conjure, which is fine so long as the film stays true to the story that Lewis wrote. And while this film is not a literal translation--it really wants to be so much more than just a kids' movie--for the most part it is faithful enough to the story, and whatever faults it has are happily faults of overreaching, and not of holding back. "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" tells the story of the four Pevensie children, Lucy, Peter, Edmund, and Susan, and their adventures in the mystical world of Narnia. Sent to the British countryside for their own safety during the blitz of World War II, they discover an entryway into a mystical world through an old wardrobe. Narnia is inhabited by mythical, anthropomorphic creatures suffering under the hundred-year rule of the cruel White Witch (Tilda Swinton, in a standout role). The arrival of the children gives the creatures of Narnia hope for liberation, and all are dragged into the inevitable conflict between evil (the Witch) and good (Aslan the Lion, the Messiah figure, regally voiced by Liam Neeson).
Director (and co-screenwriter) Andrew Adamson, a veteran of the "Shrek" franchise, knows his way around a fantasy-based adventure story, and he wisely keeps the story moving when it could easily become bogged down and tiresome. Narnia is, of course, a Christian allegory and the symbology is definitely there (as it should be, otherwise it wouldn't be the story Lewis wrote), but audiences aren't knocked over the head with it, and in the hands of another director it could easily have become pedantic. The focus is squarely on the children and their adventures. The four young actors are respectable in their roles, especially considering the size of the project put on their shoulders, but it's the young Georgie Henley as the curious Lucy who stands out. This isn't a film that wildly succeeds, and in the long run it won't have the same impact as the "Harry Potter" franchise, but it is well done, and kids will get swept up in the adventure. Note: "Narnia" does contain battle scenes that some parents may consider too violent for younger children. "--Dan Vancini" Date added to my collection: 01 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Horror
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob Balaban, J. Patrick McNamara, Warren J. Kemmerling, Roberts Blossom, Philip Dodds, Cary Guffey, Shawn Bishop, Adrienne Campbell, Justin Dreyfuss, Lance Henriksen, Merrill Connally
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG Anybody who has written him off because of his string of stinkers--or anybody who's too young to remember "The Goodbye Girl"--may be shocked at the accomplishment and nuance of Richard Dreyfuss's performance in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Here, he plays a man possessed; contacted by aliens, he (along with other members of the "chosen") is drawn toward the site of the incipient landing: Devil's Tower, in rural Wyoming. As in many Spielberg films, there are no personalized enemies; the struggle is between those who have been called and a scientific establishment that seeks to protect them by keeping them away from the arriving spacecraft. The ship, and the special effects in general, are every bit as jaw-dropping on the small screen as they were in the theater (well, almost). Released in 1977 as a cerebral alternative to the swashbuckling science fiction epics then in vogue, "Close Encounters" now seems almost wholesome in its representation of alien contact and interested less in philosophizing about extraterrestrials than it is in examining the nature of the inner "call." Ultimately a motion picture about the obsession of the driven artist or determined visionary, "Close Encounters" comes complete with the stock Spielberg wives and girlfriends who seek to tether the dreamy, possessed protagonists to the more mundane concerns of the everyday. So a spectacular, seminal motion picture indeed, but one with gender politics that are all too terrestrial. "--Miles Bethany" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: We are not alone
Directed by: Terry Cunningham
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Nick Cornish, Vanessa Marcil, Ling Bai, Adrian Paul, Tone Loc, Coolio, Scott Rinker, Serena Scott Thomas, Richard Cox, Jerry Doyle, Wesley Jonathan, Nora Dunn, Adam Gordon, Burt Bulos, Kevin Fry
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R Code Hunter stars Vanessa Marcil (90210),Adrian Paul (highlander) and Bai Ling (red corner)with appearances by Tone-Loc and Coolio. "It is about a giant storm controlled by satellites that threatens to destroy both american coasts. The only one who can stop it is the renegade hacker known as the jester. A virtual reality game gone haywire forces him into the deadliest, and most real, game of his life" review by blockbuster Code Hunter has superb acting on the part of Vanessa Marcil and Bai Ling. Adrian Paul plays his cool self as usual Nick Cornish's performance is a little over done but the movie as a whole is worth watching. I rarely give a four or 5 star rating ex: 5 Star Lord of the Rings, Highlander 4 star: Time Cop, The One Maybe that will help you as to the rating. This is again worth watching. I own a copy!! Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: The Ultimate Survival Challenge.
Directed by: Buzz Kulik
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Kate Capshaw, Jeroen Krabbé, Gregory Sierra, Valerie Mahaffey, James Sloyan, Cliff De Young, Kurt Braunreiter, Francisco Cuevas, Robin Hudis, Kimberly Kulik, Honorato Magaloni, Jorge Martínez de Hoyos, Hilary Perez, Garette Ratliff Henson, Guillermo Ríos
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG I have to warn you that this was first shown on TV back in the late 80's. Thus there are no overt sex scenes, mindless violence or such. Plot, well written and delivered dialoge are what this movie has going for it. It actually would have done very well in the movie theatres instead of on TV. Capshaw, Greggory Sierra are very good. Give it a shot you won't be disappointed. Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments:
Directed by: Vincenzo Natali
Genre: Horror
Starring: Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, Julian Richings, Wayne Robson, Maurice Dean Wint
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R If Clive Barker had written an episode of "The Twilight Zone", it might have looked something like "Cube". A handful of strangers wake up inside a bizarre maze, having been spirited there during the night. They quickly learn that they have to navigate their way through a series of chambers if they have any hope of escape, but the problem is that there are lethal traps awaiting if they choose their route unwisely. Having established some imaginative and grisly punishments in store for the hostages, cowriter and director Vincenzo Natali turns his attention to the characters, for whom being trapped amplifies their best and worst qualities. The film is, in fact, similar to a famous episode of Rod Serling's old television series, though Natali's explanation for why these poor people are being put through hell is a lot closer to the spirit of "The X-Files". "Cube" has some solid moments of suspense and drama, and the sets are appropriately striking: one is tempted to believe at first the characters are lost inside a computer chip. "--Tom Keogh" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Fear... Paranoia... Suspicion... Desperation
Directed by: Andrzej Sekula
Genre: Horror
Starring: Kari Matchett, Geraint Wyn Davies, Grace Lynn Kung, Matthew Ferguson, Neil Crone, Barbara Gordon, Lindsey Connell, Greer Kent, Bruce Gray, Philip Akin, Paul Robbins, Andrew Scorer
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R I remember viewing the original Cube for the first time and being blown away by the original premise and simplicity. Cube was an amazing low budget film... Cube 2: Hypercube tries to take a similar premise and use big-budget methods to try and make it more main-stream. Unfortunately, Cube 2 really does not compare to its prequel. Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Welcome to a new dimension in fear
Directed by: David Jackson
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Patrick Stewart, Alexandra Paul, Ted Levine, Christopher Lee, John Abineri, Nic D'Avirro, Clarke Peters, Andreas Sportelli, Ron Berglas, Vili Matula, Lorrie Marlow, Terrence Hardiman, Bill Leadbitter, Daniel Stewart
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R Two U.N. anti-crime agents try to stop a hijacked train from reaching Iraq. Based on the book Death Train by Alistair MacLean. Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments:
Directed by: Alan Rafkin, Edward Montagne
Genre: Comedy
Starring:
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: Unrated He's one of the most popular and admired funnymen of all time, a master of comic timing and physical humor. Now four of the classic films starring the delightful Don Knotts are available on DVD for the first time in this fun-filled collector's set.
After catapulting to national fame as the often impossible but ever lovable Deputy Barney Fife on TV's The Andy Griffith Show, Knotts set out to conquer the silver screen in a series of unforgettable feature films. Now four of these hilarious farces are brought together in this amazing collection that keeps the laughs coming. Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments:
Directed by: Ben Sharpsteen
Genre: Kids & Family
Starring: Chuck Stubbs, Malcolm Hutton, Harold Manley, Sarah Selby, Eddie Holden, Billy Sheets, Hall Johnson, Billy Bletcher, John McLeish, Hall Johnson Choir, Noreen Gammill, Jim Carmichael, Margaret Wright, Dorothy Scott, Tony Neil
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G A Disney "classic" that actually is a classic, "Dumbo" should be part of your video collection whether or not you have children. The storytelling was never as lean as in "Dumbo", the songs rarely as haunting (or just plain weird), the characters rarely so well defined. The film pits the "cold, cruel, heartless" world that can't accept abnormality against a plucky, and mute, hero. Jumbo Jr. (Dumbo is a mean-spirited nickname) is ostracized from the circus pack shortly after his delivery by the stork because of his big ears. His mother sticks up for him and is shackled. He's jeered by children (an insightful scene has one boy poking fun at Dumbo's ears, even though the youngster's ears are also ungainly), used by the circus folk, and demoted to appearing with the clowns. Only the decent Timothy Q. Mouse looks out for the little guy. Concerns about the un-PC "Jim Crow" crows, who mock Dumbo with the wonderful "When I See an Elephant Fly," should be moderated by remembering that the crows are the only social group in the film who act kindly to the little outcast. If you don't mist up during the "Baby Mine" scene, you may be legally pronounced dead. "--Keith Simanton" Date added to my collection: 01 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Library