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Directed by: Kevin Costner
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Kevin Costner, Chaim Girafi, Rick Aviles, R.D. Call, Zitto Kazann, Leonardo Cimino, Zakes Mokae, Luke Ka'ili Jr., Anthony DeMasters, Willy Petrovic, Jack Kehler, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Lanny Flaherty, Robert A. Silverman, Gerard Murphy
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 Let's be honest: this 1995 epic isn't nearly as bad as its negative publicity led us to expect. At the time it was the most expensive Hollywood production in history (it had a "Titanic"-sized $200 million budget), and the film arrived in theaters with so much controversy and negative gossip that it was an easy target for ridicule. The movie itself, a flawed but enjoyable post-apocalypse thriller, deserves better. "Waterworld" stars Kevin Costner as the Mariner, a lone maverick with gills and webbed feet who navigates the endless seas of Earth after the complete melting of the polar ice caps. The Mariner has been caged like a criminal when he's freed by Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and enlisted to help her and a young girl (Tina Majorino) escape from the Smokers, a group of renegade terrorists led by Dennis Hopper in yet another memorably villainous role. It is too bad the predictable script isn't more intelligent, but as a companion piece to "The Road Warrior", this seafaring stunt-fest is adequately impressive. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: Beyond the horizon lies the secret to a new beginning.
Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: James Caan, Benicio Del Toro, Taye Diggs, Henry Griffin, Armando Guerrero, Jan Jensen, Nicky Katt, Dylan Kussman, Kristin Lehman, Geoffrey Lewis, Juliette Lewis, Andres Orozco, José Pérez, Ryan Phillippe, Neil Pollock
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: R The big selling point for "The Way of the Gun" is the fact that it was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the guy who wrote "The Usual Suspects". Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Phillippe star as two low-rent criminals who fall into a plan to kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis) who is carrying a baby for a very wealthy couple. The duo are immediately in over their heads, and their kidnapping plot brings to light the dark and hidden tendrils of the old man's family structure. It also brings on lots of gunfights and lots of blood. McQuarrie creates some good action sequences (particularly the slow-moving car "chase" through the alleys), but that only serves to emphasize the one major weakness of the film: the script. Though it's chock full of macho declarations, shootouts, and "surprise" revelations, the core story is ultra-predictable. That wouldn't be so bad if there were any characters to care about, but only a supporting performance from James Caan elicits any kind of sympathy. This is merely a movie based on violent movies, with no additional commentary. Then again, McQuarrie does do a nice job with much of the action. Though nowhere near as good as "The Usual Suspects", particularly in its story, "The Way of the Gun" is a promising debut for McQuarrie as a director. "--Andy Spletzer" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments:
Directed by: Yoshifumi Kondo
Genre: Anime & Manga
Starring: Youko Honna, Kazuo Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana, Shigeru Muroi, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, Keiju Kobayashi, Minami Takayama, Yorie Yamashita, Mayumi Iizuka, Toshio Suzuki, Mika Boorem, Suguru Egawa, Cary Elwes, David Gallagher, Harold Gould, Naohisa Inoue, Shirô Kishibe, Abigail Mavity, Tatsuya Okada, Brittany Snow, Satoru Takahashi, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Hiromi Yasuda
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: G Based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, the gentle coming-of-age story "Whisper of the Heart" (1995) was scripted and storyboarded by Hayao Miyazaki, and directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo. Shizuku Tsukishima is an absent-minded, insecure junior high school student who reads book after book of fairy tales, helps her friends, and does most of her chores, but remains dissatisfied. When she encounters a wonderfully supercilious cat on the train, she follows him and meets Seiji Amasawa, a student in her class who hopes to become a violin maker. Seiji's commitment to his dream helps Shizuku find her voice, literally and figuratively: she realizes she wants to become a writer. A statue of a cat in the antique store of Seiji's kindly grandfather inspires her first story, "Whisper of the Heart."
Shizuku and Seiji exhibit believable strengths and flaws: their warm humanity contrasts markedly with the shabby superficiality of the characters in many American animated films. The lively performances of Brittany Snow and David Gallagher transcend the geographic limits of the story to make Shizuku and Seiji the kids the viewer wishes lived next door. Miyazaki's script suggests that a sense of magic can exist, even in everyday Tokyo. "Whisper of the Heart" was the only film Yoshifumi Kondo directed before his untimely death at age 47, but its understated charm stands as a monument to his talent. (Rated G, suitable for ages 10 and older: tobacco use) "--Charles Solomon" Date added to my collection: 12 Mar 2006
My Comments: Animated
Directed by:
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: X-Men Trilogy Pack
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 Disc 1: *X-Men: The Last Stand *Widescreen Feature *Director & Writer Commentary by Brett Ratner, Zack Penn,and Simon Kinberg *Deleted & Extended Scenes (with optional commentary by Brett Ratner) *3 Alternate Endings *2 Menu Sets: X-Men and Brotherhood *Inside Look- A Night a the Museum *The World of Marvel Trailers *US Component #2237392 *Canadian Bilingual Component #2237393 *Refer to PIS for details
Disc 2: *X2 *Widescreen Feature *Deleted Scenes *US Component #2110485 *Canadian Bilingual Component #2110488 *Refer to PIS for details
Disc 3: *X-Men *Widescreen Feature *US Component #2110095 *Canadian Bilingual #2110098 *Refer to PIS sheet for details
Episode Description: Disc 1: X-Men: The Last Stand Disc 2: X2 Disc 3: X-Men Date added to my collection: 02 Feb 2007
My Comments:
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Genre: Action & Adventure
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romijn, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Bruce Davison, Aaron Stanford, Shawn Ashmore, Kelly Hu, Katie Stuart
My Rating: 0/5
Rated: PG-13 "X2" does a fine job of picking up where "X-Men" left off, giving fans more of what they liked the first time around. Under the serious-minded custody of returning director Bryan Singer, the second film of this Marvel comics franchise ups the ante on Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the superhero mutants from the first film, pitting them against a mutant-hating scientist (Brian Cox) who's determined to wipe out the mutant race by tricking Xavier into abusing his telepathic powers. More a series of spectacles than a truly satisfying thriller, "X2" introduces new mutant allies while giving each of the "X-Men" alumni--notably the temporarily helpful Magneto (Ian McKellen)--their own time in the spotlight. Well aware of the parallels between "mutantism" and virulent intolerance in the real world, Singer lends real gravity to the proceedings, injecting dramatic urgency into a continuing franchise that, in lesser hands, might've grown patently absurd. "--Jeff Shannon" Date added to my collection: 17 Feb 2006
My Comments: The time has come for those who are different to stand united
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