|
Archive
of Movie and TV reviews by Year > 2005
 Chicken Little (Frank's Take)
01/12/2005. Frank discovers that in the innocuous Disney digitally animated feature Chicken Little, director Mark Dindal (The Emperor's New Groove) serves up a cute and cosy tale about a tiny bespectacled bird saddled with all kinds of paranoia and self-doubt.
 Doom (Frank's Take)
01/12/2005. The movie's obvious title says it all, says Frank, because some audiences will feel doomed when enduring this tedious ultra-synthetic rush ride that dares to emulate the frightening frivolity of the 1986 blockbuster Aliens.
 Saw II (Frank's Take)
01/12/2005. It's quite interesting to see how fast the filmmakers decided to whip up another grisly instalment of Saw, says Frank, after only a mere year of making the raw rounds just around Halloween 2004. Well, things apparently haven't changed THAT much since Saw II wants to desperately emulate its predecessor by accomplishing a few similar feats.
 Alien Planet (Mark's Take)
01/12/2005. The Discovery Channel's special Alien Planet blurs the distinction between science and science fiction, but for good purpose. Alien Planet, based on Wayne Barlowe's book Expedition is a dramatisation of a plausible visit by mechanical probe Van Braun to the earth-like planet Darwin IV.
 Seven Swords (Mark's Take)
01/12/2005. Tsui Hark tells the story of seven defenders of justice standing against the minions of an evil ruler of the Qing Dynasty. An evil mercenary general named Fire-Wind has killed hundreds in support of the Qing Emperor's ban on martial arts. Now seven peasants, each a great martial artist, ban together to defeat the evil Fire-Wind. Yada, yada, yada. The story is just as comic-book-ish as it sounds with some interminable battle scenes. Your enjoyment will be limited by your capacity to watch people try to carve each other up.
 Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Frank's Take)
01/11/2005. Previously, filmmaker Tim Burton had already made his whimsical mark with the colourfully cheeky children's fantasy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, says our Frank. Now Burton - along with reliable leading man Johnny Depp from Factory - adds spice to yet another off-kilter kiddie fable in the delightfully dark Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.
 The Fog: 2005 remake movie (Frank's Take)
01/11/2005. John Carpenter's 1980 original release of The Fog wasn't exactly a skilled and penetrating horror movie to behold, says our Frank. Nevertheless, Carpenter's sinister showcase had the atmospheric creepiness to at least register some legitimate jolts. So what does he think of the remake? Read on.
 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Frank's Take)
01/11/2005. It is no big secret whatsoever that the British claymation shorts featuring the terrific tandem of Wallace and Gromit are convincingly entertaining, notes our Frank. Creator Nick Park (best known in America for 2000's Chicken Run) deservedly received two Academy Awards for his engaging account pertaining to the playful exploits of a brilliant but loopy inventor and his sensible mute pooch.
 NBT (Mark's Take)
01/11/2005. In this film Mark finds an often hilarious and painfully on-target mockumentary about people who are pulled into special interest cults like "Star Trek" or, in this case, frozen entree fandom. How these interests interlock has never been treated in film and at least this first time the result is a gem of a film.
 Serenity (Mark's Take)
01/11/2005. TV's series Firefly - cult and cancelled - comes to the screen not as a glorified episode of the series but as a finish to the series and that ties up the loose ends, notes Mark. While the film may be a little terse and telegraphic for people who were not fans of the series, those familiar with the series will be quite please that there were some interesting ideas behind the fun adventures.
 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (Mark's Take)
01/11/2005. Nick Park's animated comic duo is back, this time in a feature-length satire of Terence Fisher's Curse Of The Werewolf and several other films, says Mark. The previous Wallace & Gromit adventures have been shorter and more dependent on cuteness. The script this time is really better than the animation and the result is genuinely funny.
 Venom (Frank's Take)
01/10/2005. Venom is indeed a horror show but for other reasons entirely, says Frank. Considerably meagre and dubiously dull in its hair-raising high jinks, this brain-dead boofest of a movie is just another colourless creepy tale right off the conveyor belt of sluggish imagination.
 A Sound Of Thunder (Mark's Take)
01/10/2005. Based on a famous story by Ray Bradbury, this film will be a real disappointment for its lack of logic and even the misunderstanding of the original story. As an action film without the logic it is only fair. Peter Hyams is good at making sci-fi, but is not very good with science fiction.
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Mark's Take)
01/10/2005. This is another joyously morbid fairy tale from Tim Burton. A nebbish makes a fatal mistake and accidentally weds a zombie. These mixed marriages - one living and one dead - never really last. But while this one does our hapless hero gets to meet the underworld society of the dead. The mock morbidity is a lot of fun, and it all comes to a heart-warming ending.
 Eternal (Mark's Take)
01/10/2005. The notorious Countess Erzsebet Bathory has returned and is repeating her crimes in modern day Montreal. Eternal is a sexy and stylish horror thriller from Canada that unfortunately seems to be re-treading all-too-familiar territory. It gets points for its lavish production design, but very little for originality or real horror.
 Serenity and Universal Studios - Hero and Goat
01/10/2005. In the course of three days Universal Studios managed to take the prize for being Big Damn Heroes and bottom of the barrel scum. Aleta Vinas reports from the Hollywood premiere of the science fiction movie Serenity.
 Batman Begins (Frank's Take)
01/09/2005. It has been an astounding eight years since audiences last saw the Caped Crusader roam the gothic landscape in search of vengeance on the big screen, says Frank. Of course moviegoers were previously treated to distinctive versions of the Black Knight courtesy of the artistic whims by noted filmmakers Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher. While Burton chose to delve into the dank and sardonic surrealism of the courageous Costumed One, Schumacher delivered somewhat of a flexible frivolous take on the classic comic book hero.
 The Skeleton Key (Frank's Take)
01/09/2005. In Iain Softley's preposterous Cajun creepfest The Skeleton Key, Frank says we get another variation of a formulaic terrorizing tale that spotlights the voodoo vibrations below the Mason-Dixon Line.
 The Dukes of Hazzard (Frank's Take)
01/09/2005. If you were looking for an evening of sophistication, an annoyingly hell-raising hillbilly hoot such as The Dukes of Hazzard wouldn't necessarily be your ideal cup of tea, says Frank. But then again, if you are purposely looking for moronic moments to fill your idle time then director Jay Chandrasekhar's pointless big screen treatment of the classic cornfield 1979-85 CBS series may satisfy your need for instant dumb-down entertainment.
 Goodnight Sweetheart: The Complete Series One
01/09/2005. DVD. Revelation PAR61253. Price: £15.99 (UK). 6 episodes plus extras. 230 minutes)stars: Nicholas Lyndhurst, Dervla Kirwan, Mitchelle Holmes, Victor McGuire, David Ryall and Christopher Ettridge and assorted others. Written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gan.
 Stargate SG-1 Season Three
01/09/2005. DVD MGM Home Entertainment 24317DVD MZ1. Price: £20.97 (UK) 22 episodes plus extras. time: 15 hours)stars: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis and assorted guests.
 Battlestar Galactica Season One by Bear McCreary
01/08/2005. CD: LalaLand Records LLLCD 1032. 30 tracks - 78.33minutes. Price: $16.95 (US), £13.99 UK- import.
 Dark Angel Season Two Collection
01/08/2005. DVD: 20th Century Fox 1-0GB 24712DVD. 21 episodes. 905 minutes. Price varies from £60-£20 (UK) so shop around for the best deal.. stars: Jessica Alba, Michael Weatherley, Jensen Eccles, Kevin Durand and many others.
 Dead Like Me: The Complete First Season DVD Boxset
01/08/2005. DVD: MGM Home Entertainment 10006827. 10 hrs - 14 episodes with extras. Price: £29.95 (UK). stars: Ellen Muth, Callum Blue, Jasmine Guy, Rebecca Gayheart, Cynthia Stevenson, Britt McKillip and Mandy Patinkin not to mention a host of guest stars.
 Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: Collector's Edition
01/08/2005. DVD: Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment CDR 26501. 131 minute film plus extras spread over 2 DVDs. Price as cheap as: £ 7.99 (UK) if you know where to look). stars: Richard Drefus, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr and Francois Truffaut.
 Danger Man DVD Boxset Complete Series One
01/08/2005. DVD: Carlton Visual Entertainment 37115 05913. 975 minutes - 39 25 minute episodes. Price varies from: £60.00 to £38.00 (UK) so shop around for the best deal). stars: Patrick McGoohan and a host of superb 1960s actors.
 Knight Rider Series One DVD Boxset
01/08/2005. DVD. Univeral Studios 8229062. 20 episodes, 2 pilots and extras. Price: £24.99 (UK) - it varies so shop around for the best deal). stars: David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, Patricia McPherson and William Daniels.
 Fantastic Four (Frank's Take)
01/08/2005. In director Tim Story’s (Barbershop, Taxi) banally bloated sci-fi fantasy Fantastic Four, the storytelling is so anemically conceived that this soulless superhero saga has all the thrilling vibes of an elevator ride at your local shopping mall, says Frank.
 Stealth (Frank's Take)
01/08/2005. Stealth strives to be a Top Gun knockoff for the millennium ages, says Frank. Filmmaker Rob Cohen pushes all the necessary buttons in trying to stimulate the jingoistic vibes regarding this disjointed and hyperactive military melodrama. If your preference for fast planes and other arbitrary gadgets appear somewhat appealing to your cinematic needs, Stealth will probably satisfy your adrenaline rush as a boisterous thriller stuck in an overwrought and aimless mode.
 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Mark's Take)
01/08/2005. This is the high-sucrose story of a good little boy who, along with four bad children, gets a much-coveted tour of a mysterious candy factory, says Mark. Roald Dahl's now-classic story is a cheerfully hypocritical children's cautionary tale gone weird. Tim Burton gives us his visually creative approach to the story with effects that frequently do not deliver. Still, it is a tale told with imagination and exuberance.
 War of the Worlds (Mark's Take)
01/08/2005. It is easier to admire than to enjoy Steven Spielberg's adaptation of The War of the Worlds, says Mark. The film is dark and bleak with little real sense of wonder - the thing that should be Spielberg's forte. The alien technology is not allowed to steal attention away from the human story, but that may not be a good thing. This is a film that is dark in just about every meaning of the word.
Batman Begins: Mark's Take
01/07/2005. Batman Begins re-invents Batman for the screen and still has time to comment on the story of a certain other recent blockbuster. Nolan's and Goyler's script is not perfect, but it has many very interesting ideas and touches. The film sports an all-star cast led by Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne - soon to be Batman.
 Time of Endings: Star Wars
01/07/2005. Last issue Mark discussed the end of Star Trek series of series. This month he would like to talk about his take on the Star Wars series, also coming to an end.
 High Tension (Haute Tension): Mark's Take
01/07/2005. This is a French slasher film directed and co-written by Alexandre Aja. In spite of a slight continental feel and a little lesbian relationship, this film is solid cliché from the early days of slasher films. It is one cliché after another, and then at the end the writer plasters on an ending that is logically inconsistent with the rest of the film.
 A Time of Endings: Godzilla
01/07/2005. With two other science fiction franchises coming to an end, much less notice is being given to a third important series. Currently being released in this country is Godzilla: Final Wars. I have had people look at me strangely when I have said that this is an important science fiction series and lament its passing.
 Madagascar: Frank's Take
01/07/2005. In the DreamWorks family flick Madagascar, we're treated to an innocuously animal-oriented fable that will no doubt entertain the kiddie masses with its infectious silliness. However, the slight knock on Madagascar may be its surprisingly plain and punchless presentation that doesn't necessarily make anyone forget about the thriving vibes of a Toy Story or understated sweetness of the uneven Ice Age.
 Stargate SG-1 Season Two
01/07/2005. DVD MGM Home Entertainment 24316DVD MZ1. Price: £20.97 (UK) 22 episodes. time: 15 hours.
 Alien Abduction
01/07/2005. DVD: The Asylum SCI-FI 1676. 95 minutes. Price: $17.99 (US). director: Eric Rorsberg. Stars: Megan Lee Ethridge, Griff Feurstein, Melanie Porter, Patrick Thomassie and Jilon Ghai.
 Fireball XL5 DVD boxset
01/07/2005. DVD: Carlton 37115 04233. 39 black and white episodes on 5 DVDs. 16.25 hours. Price: £26.95 but prices vary so check around for the best deal.
 H.G Wells' The War of the Worlds: Mark's Take
25/06/2005. This is the first film to do the novel in the period in which it was intended, says Mark. The acting is stylized; the photography is stylized; the special effects are stylized. All this effectively evokes a period feel on a dime-store budget. This exceptionally faithful adaptation of the Wells novel, but is a film that will appeal to only a very narrow audience.
 The Amityville Horror: Frank's Take
01/06/2005. The real horror behind 2005's The Amityville Horror is that it had the audacity to try and mine its lukewarm absurd scares from the 26-year old original bland product. Let's face it-the 1979 blueprint and its woeful 3-D sequel wasn't exactly anything uniquely distinctive to write home about in the first place.
 House of Wax: Frank's Take
01/06/2005. It’s safe to say that this glossy and contemporary take on the nostalgic horror movie House of Wax is not exactly anyone’s idea of an ideal reminiscence that represents this classic boofest from yesteryear. First-time director Jaume Collet-Serra weaves a throwaway thriller that proudly features anemic acting, cheap-minded scares, the obligatory presence of youthful periled pretty people, and a host of thinly veiled horror cliches enough to last a darn lifetime.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith: Frank's Take
01/06/2005. It’s hard to believe that nearly three decades ago, innovative filmmaker George Lucas thrust upon a movie-going global landscape a dynamic cinematic vision that would become to grow into a hysterical pop cultural phenomenon. There’s no doubt that the illustrious film franchise known as Star Wars has captured the escapist imagination of a generation of enthusiastic sci-fi thrill-seekers.
 SF: Episode I (Samurai Fiction): Mark's Take
01/06/2005. With its light touch, this is the most enjoyable samurai film that I have seen in years. It is a deft and slightly daft story of a valuable sword stolen by a by an enigmatic but unstoppable swordsman. The unready son of the rightful owner is forced to chase down an enemy whose fighting skills are far superior to his own.
 The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: Mark's Take
01/06/2005. It is hard to be too harsh on a film with as many smiles as this one has. But for many of us the jokes will be just too familiar. Some of the visualizations are quite good and perhaps the best thing about this version of the oft-adapted stories of Douglas Adams. This film is a pleasant experience but a throwaway one.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith: Mark's Take
01/06/2005. The last "Star Wars" film bursts on the screen in an explosion of high melodrama. The final piece of the story falls smoothly into place as the origins of the 1977 film we saw become clear. As the episodes go, Chapter III seen this year is second only to the impact of Chapter IV as seen from 1977.
 Kelley Armstrong Interview
01/06/2005. Author Kelley Armstrong talks about her last book, Industrial Magic, why supernatural fiction is so popular, and why if you write characters that don't ever surprise you, you may not yet have fully-formed characters.
 XXX: State of the Union: Frank's Take
01/06/2005. In Rob Cohen's numbing hit 2002 action-packed spy thriller xXx, muscle-bound misfit Vin Diesel played an extreme sports athlete turned risk-taking secret agent named Xander Cage. Naturally Diesel's trademark monosyllabic persona and the excitable recklessness of that movie's aimless mayhem helped turn this visually boisterous actioner into a hyperactive sensation.
 Dark Angel Season One Collection
01/06/2005. DVD: 20th Century Fox 1-0GB 23045DVD. 21 episodes. 919 minutes. Price varies from £60-£20 (UK) so shop around for the best deal. Stars: Jessica Alba, Michael Weatherley, John Savage and many others.
 Stargate SG-1 Season One
01/06/2005. DVD MGM Home Entertainment 23735DVD MZ. Price: £20.97 (UK) 21 episodes. time: 15 hours).stars: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis and assorted guests.
 Planet Of The Apes Special Edition
01/06/2005. DVD. 20th Century Fox F1-0CB 22371DVD. Price: £45.00 (UK) although prices vary so look around for the best deal, I got mine for less than half price in Smiths). Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, James Franciscus, Maurice Evans and Natalie Trundie.
 The Deadly Spawn by Michael Perilstein
01/05/2005. CD: Perseverance PRD 005. 43 minutes. Price: $21.95 or $17.00 off their website.
 Doctor Who: The Three Doctors
01/05/2005. DVD Region 2. BBCDVD 1144. 97 minutes. Price: £ 9.99 (UK) but this varies so shop around for the best deal). stars: Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell, Katy Manning and Nicholas Courtney.
 The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers by Denny Zeitlin
01/05/2005. CD: Perseverance PRD 003. 70 minutes. Price: $21.95 or $17.00 off their website.
 Dr. Phibes Rises Again - composed and conducted by John Gale
01/05/2005. CD: Perseverance PRD 002. 45 minutes. Price: $21.95 or $17.00 off their website.
 Doctor Who: The Green Death
01/05/2005. DVD Region 2. BBCDVD 1142. 153 minutes. Price: £15.99 (UK) but this varies so shop around for the best deal). Stars: Jon Pertween, Katy Manning and Nicholas Courtney.
 Farscape: The Complete Season 2 Limited Edition
01/05/2005. DVD: Hallmark KLT89102. Price: £99.99 (UK) although it is possible to get it from half to two-thirds cheaper, so shop around for the best deal) stars: Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Virginia Hey and Gigi Edgley.
 Sin City: Mark's Take
01/05/2005. The flash is exaggerated and the plot has minimal importance in this hyper-noir crime story based on Frank Miller's graphic novel. To take a phrase from the script, it is "loud and nasty." Mark has more respect than affection for this admittedly successful effort to give a film the feel of a graphic novel.
 May: Mark's Take
01/05/2005. May is a very nasty and disturbing little horror film that the viewer will probably either love or hate, says Mark. Like a road accident it is at once very unpleasant see and at the same time mesmerizing. It manages to be original while giving nods to many of the classics of horror. This is the story of a very disturbed woman with fixations on sewing and body parts and a doll.
 Man on Fire: Mark's Take
01/05/2005. A guilt-ridden but very deadly assassin drops his defenses to love the little girl he has been hired to guard. When she is kidnapped he returns to the violence that he knows best. Denzel Washington brings to the screen one more portrait of a bloodthirsty, unstoppable avenger with no bounds. And isn't that an accomplishment, says Mark!
 Final Cut: Mark's Take
01/05/2005. Final Cut is intelligent and literate as very few science fiction films are, says Mark. Five percent of the population have chips implanted in their bodies that record and play back everything that they see and hear. Robin Williams plays a "cutter." A cutter copies the life movies of the recently departed and edits them down to one or two hour home movies.
 The Ring Two: Frank's Take
01/05/2005. So this is the second helping where fright meets might in the existence of Seattle’s favorite terrorized mother-son combo, huh? In 2002’s The Ring, says Frank, audiences were treated to the chilling accounts of an ominous videotape that claims the lives of its unsuspecting viewers. Now three years later filmmakers want to recapture the nail-biting theatrics in The Ring Two, the lackluster follow-up to the original creepy suspense thriller.
Sin City: Frank's Take
01/05/2005. Frank Miller’s Sin City is a swaggering and ultra-violent flashy film noir with a sordid imagination to match its surreal imagery, says Frank. The film is based on a series of dark-oriented graphic comic novels.
 Sahara: Frank's Take
01/05/2005. There’s no doubt that the action-adventure Sahara will leave a parched sensation in one’s dry throat, says Frank. Director Breck Eisner (son of Disney head honcho Michael) helms a predictable and half-baked harried suspense thriller that settles for flashy B-movie mediocrity.
 Robots: Frank's Take
01/05/2005. Robots are a mechanical mishap, says Frank. Sure, it’s grounded in animated family fun and some tykes will take to it with a sugar-coated natural high. However, adults will be indifferent by its familiar recycled slapstick themes. Although cutesy in its clang-inducing content, Robots lumbers on unlike the well-oiled machine it thinks it is in concept.
 Kung Fu Hustle: Frank's Take
01/05/2005. Filmmaker Stephen Chow spared no creative expenses when overseeing his latest dizzying and dazzling musical action-comedy hit Kung Fu Hustle, says Frank. After exhilarating audiences with his international hit Shaolin Soccer, the Asian moviemaker bounces back with an inspired romp that ricochets more convincingly than an errant bullet piercing a nearby rocky surface.
 Constantine: Frank's Take
01/04/2005. There are many considerations—both good and bad—that you can drum up when describing the captivating but convoluted supernatural comic book thriller Constantine. On one hand, music video-turned-motion picture director Francis Lawrence helms a stylish, overextended action-oriented sacred meditation of gothic imagery that stimulates the visual senses.
 The Jacket: Frank's Take
01/04/2005. The Jacket feels a little snug around the arms as a messy mind-bender. Although this murky psychological thriller has a challenging premise that’s undoubtedly riveting, British director John Maybury (1998’s Francis Bacon biopic Love is the Devil) never really finds the right niche to secure his hysterical head-spinning account of a lost man on the brink of a breakdown.
 Cursed: Frank's Take
01/04/2005. Well, this absurd horror movie’s title says it all, folks. Cursed is a rancid boofest that wouldn’t scare a claustrophobic out of a dark and dank cave. It’s hard to believe that veteran fear-monger Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street) and resourceful screenwriter Kevin Williamsom (Scream) couldn’t come up with an inspired creepy collaboration given their previous capable track records working together.
Robots: Mark's Take
01/04/2005. The same team that made ICE AGE tries again to succeed in the CGI-animation film. But ROBOTS lacks all the magic of ICE AGE. The film is entertaining but it is definitely second-rate as current animated features go. It has some good ideas, but overall it tanks.
 Steamboy: Mark's Take
01/04/2005. A total surprise, this refreshing and enjoyable alternate history anime film packs quite a lot of action and adventure in one film. Particularly for fans of Jules Verne this film is a solid pleasure.
 Trauma: Mark's Take
01/04/2005. A man awakes from a coma to find his world changed and things no longer making sense. A film this unpleasant should at least be absorbing. This one is a hard film to get into and it really does not reward that effort.
 2046: Sasha's Take
01/04/2005. He was a writer. He thought he was writing about the future, but he was actually writing about the past. In his new novel, every once in a while, a mysterious train leaves for 2046.
 The Abominable Dr. Phibes: original motion picture score by Basil Kirchin
01/04/2005. CD: Perseverance PRD 004. 40 minutes. Price: $24.95 or $17.00 off their website.
 Alien Vs Predator: Two-Disc Extreme Edition
01/04/2005. DVD: 20th Century Fox FG-OCB 26681CDVD. 96 minutes. Price: Varies from £22 to £13 so shop around for the right price). Stars: Sanna Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner. Director: Paul W.S. Anderson.
 Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion Of Earth
01/04/2005. DVD Region 2. BBC WHSDVD 04. 149 minutes. Price: £15.99 (UK) but this varies so shop around for the best deal.
 Alias Season 1 music composed by Michael Giacchino
01/04/2005. CD: Touchstone Television Productions Varese Sarabande VSD-6521. Price: £12.99 to £8.99 (UK) so shop around for the best price.
 Ong-Bak, The Thai Warrior: Frank's Take
01/03/2005. Lately, moviegoers have been treated to the extravagant chopsocky films that were armed with poetic elegance and sophistication. Profound glossy martial arts melodramas such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers were staples of exaggerated yet lyrical landscape pieces that dared to be meditative in its presentation of demonstrating a literate fist of fury fable.
 Boogeyman: Frank's Take
01/03/2005. What can you say about basing a psychological spookfest on the exploitation of childhood fears? Inherently, there’s solid potential for cultivating some serious goosebumps from this notion of facing your past torment as a disillusioned young adult. Well, director Stephen T. Kay (Get Carter) tries to push the ghoulish gumption of revisiting our creepy kiddie turmoil in the generic chiller Boogeyman.
 Son of the Mask: Frank's Take
01/03/2005. It had been well over a decade since 1994’s The Mask arrived on the scene in its merry and manic state. Of course this was one of the zany vehicles that propelled Jim Carrey into the comedy stratosphere. Enter director Larry Guterman’s sequel Son of the Mask, a messy and meandering frantic farce that dissolves quickly into its foolish-minded feyness.
 Zebraman: Mark's Take
01/03/2005. An elementary-school teacher sews for himself a suit of a 1960s superhero and through a weird chain of events accidentally elects himself to become that superhero. This is a dark and yet playful look at the superhero genre. Zebraman is a kick. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10.
 Babylon 5: The Complete Fourth Season: No Surrender, No Retreat
01/03/2005. DVD: Warner Brothers Z1 27461. 22*42 minute episodes plus extras. Price: Varies from around £60 to £35, so look around for the best deal). Stars: Bruce Boxleitner, Jerry Doyle, Claudia Christian, Mira Furlan, Peter Jurasik and Andrea Katsulas and many others.
Kung Fu Hustle: Mark's Take
01/02/2005. From the director of SHAOLIN SOCCAR comes this satire on the Shaw Brothers martial arts films, which is live-action but takes on the style of a cartoon. It is a very funny film, even for people who are not kung fu enthusiasts.
 White Noise: Frank's Take
01/02/2005. There are a few things that are noticeably disjointed about the uneventful sci-fi thriller White Noise. And that's quite a shame because this movie's premise had potential in terms of exploring its ambitiously surreal premise. When the set-up involves the afterlife and its entanglement with modern technology as a means of communicating to the inquisitive world then you're obviously expecting something worthy of an intriguing experimentation.
 House of Flying Daggers: Frank's Take
01/02/2005. Adventurous filmmaker Zhang Yimou mesmerized movie audiences previously with his resonate action-oriented gem Hero. In House of Flying Daggers, he ups the ante and delivers a dynamically polished kinetic drama that enhances this movie genre with its sophisticated ode to romanticism and tradition.
 Alexander: Mark's Take
01/01/2005. Alexander is a little long and at times slow, but not unrewarding as a movie for history buffs. Much of the film just does not work, but parts are very impressive. A good cinematic biography of this great conqueror is nearly impossible. I would rather be bored learning about the history of Alexander the Great than enthralled by the exploits of Spider Man. Your mileage may vary.
House Of Flying Daggers: Mark's Take
01/01/2005. Beautiful to look at, Zhang Yimou's most recent fantasy martial arts film from China has a cliched plot and a little too much overripe melodrama.
 Seed of Chucky: Frank's Take
01/01/2005. Do you know what the REAL frightening thought is behind the emergence of Seed of Chucky? Well, it’s certainly not the fact that a demonic doll gets its perverse kicks from the self-destructive tendencies it cherishes so gleefully.
 Saw: Frank's Take
01/01/2005. It’s routinely easy to conjure up sensationalized cinema that’s considered overwrought in its creepy conventions. But it’s certainly difficult to transcend that element of a frightfest and turn it into something that’s solidly bankable in its grisly greatness.
 The Incredibles: Frank's Take
01/01/2005. One might be wondering to themselves the following thought: just what would the handlers at Pixar do for a darn encore? Let’s face it folks, we have been so spoiled by the 3-D animated gems that insist on rolling out of the Pixar universe. It seems that year after year, the Disney/Pixar assembly line serves up the generated goodies.
 I Heart Huckabees: Mark's Take
01/01/2005. This weird comedic fantasy lampoons pop-philosophy and everything else within reach but wastes the talents of Dustin Hoffman.
 Star Wars Trilogy
01/01/2005. 4 DVD boxset. pub: 20th Century Fox 27233HMVDVD. Price: £45.00 (UK) but prices vary so shop around for the best deal. Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and loads of other fine actors.
 Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased)
01/01/2005. DVD: Carlton Visual Entertainment 37115 03033. 26 episodes/1250 minutes with little extras. Price: around £69.99 (UK) although I got it for about £29.00 so look around for the best price. Stars: Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre.
|
