Archive of Movie and TV reviews by Year > 2006

Casino Royale (Mark's Take)
01/12/2006. This is probably the best James Bond on film and probably the best James Bond film, finds Mark. Daniel Craig's James Bond is gritty and mean and a lot more real, albeit still too much a superhero. He has human fallibility and he gets hurt. The story, closer than usual to the novel for a Bond film, is more like a serious spy novel and less like a children's television show.

The Prestige (Frank's Take)
01/12/2006. Filmmaker Neil Burger's The Illusionist did get a hearty movie release head start by exploring the stylistic themes of a period piece saturated in mysticism and romanticism, says Frank. As a lavish mystery thriller, The Illusionist resonated with sparkling imagination. Still, this shouldn't disqualify writer-director Christopher Nolan's penetrating The Prestige, another solid and well-crafted costume melodrama that sinks its gritty teeth in the aura of magicians and their eye-popping tricks of the trade.

The Prestige (Mark's Take)
01/12/2006. Toward the end of the 19th century two rival stage magicians compete and battle for dominance. This is a thriller, says Mark, an education in stage magic, a mystery, and even a bit of a science fiction film. Christopher Priest's novel is brought to the screen by co-writer and director Christopher Nolan in a wonderful screen adaptation. This is a film that may be more enjoyable on the second viewing once you know its secrets.

Saw III (Frank's Take)
01/12/2006. Consistency is the key to discipline ... at least according to Frank's personal philosophy. If anything, give credit where credit is due in terms of Saw III sticking to its sick-minded cinematic agenda. For starters, director Darren Lynn Bousman is back at the creepy controls in his effort to helm another macabre mincemeat sideshow.

The Grudge 2 (Frank's Take)
01/12/2006. So what do we have here, folks, asks Frank? That's right...another belaboured and brain-dead boofest that's being served up to whet our hair-raising appetites. For those of you that wanted a frantic follow up to the 2004 hit-making scarefest The Grudge then count your giddy goose bumps because director Takashi Shimizu is back in the saddle again.

Doctor Who: Pyramids Of Mars
01/12/2006. DVD Region 2. Pub: BBC BBCDVD 1350. 1 DVD 4 episodes 97 minutes plus extras. Price: £19.99 although can be got for less than £10.97 if you know where to look (UK). stars: Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen.

Gerry Anderson: The Monochrome Years
01/12/2006. DVD Region 2: Network 79522315. time: 2600 minutes and extras. Price: £99.99 (UK).

Hands Of The Ripper (1971)
01/12/2006. DVD Region 2: Network 7952538. time: 85 minutes and extras. Price: £12.99 (UK). Stars Angharad Rees and Eric Porter.

Robocop: The Prime Directives
01/12/2006. DVD Region 2: pub: Prism Leisure PPA 1225. 2 double-sided DVDs. 4 * 90 minute films. 360 minutes. Price: £ 3.97(UK) - really cheap price). stars: Page Fletcher, Maurice Dean Wint, Gerant Wyn Davies, Maria Del Mar and Anthony Lemke.

Twins Of Evil (1971)
01/12/2006. DVD Region 2: Network 7952537. time: 84 minutes. Price: £12.99 (UK). Stars Peter Cushing and Dennis Price.

Tales Of The Unexpected Series 3
01/12/2006. DVD Region 2: Network 7952546. 225 minutes 9 episodes no extras. Price: £19.99 (UK).

Doctor Who: The Tomb Of The Cybermen
01/11/2006. DVD Region 2. Pub: BBC BBCDVD 1032. 1 DVD 4 episodes 95 minutes plus extras. Price: £19.99 although can be got for less than £ 7.00 if you know where to look (UK). stars: Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling.

Knight Rider Series Three DVD Boxset
01/11/2006. DVD Region 2. pub: Univeral Studios 8238697. 21 episodes and no extras. Price: £24.99 (UK) - it varies so shop around for the best deal. stars: David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, Patricia Macpherson and William Daniels.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand
01/11/2006. DVD Region 2. pub: 20th Century Fox FC-SGC 2998601001. 99 minute film with extras spread over 2 DVDs. Price: £22.99 (UK) although its relatively easy to get it very cheaply if you know where to look for as little as £13.00 (UK).

Stingray DVD Boxset
01/11/2006. DVD Region 2. pub: Granada 37115 012563. 975 minutes 39 * 25 minute episodes with loads of extras. Price: £59.99 but you can pull it for £42 if you know where to look (UK).

Colossus: The Forbin Project
01/11/2006. DVD Region 1. Universal Studio Selections 26204. 101 minute film with no extras. Price: £3.00 (UK). stars: Eric Braeden, Susan Clark and Gordon Pinsent.

Battlestar Galactica Series 2 DVD boxset
01/11/2006. DVD Region 2. Universal DVD Video 824-270-8-11, 6 discs, 882 minutes 20 episodes. Price: £49.99 although can be got as cheap as £35.00 (UK). stars: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park.

Jet Li's Fearless (Frank's take)
01/11/2006. Supposedly, says Frank, Fearless is the celebrated swan song for 43 year-old Chinese martial arts action star Jet Li. As the aging and agile butt-kicking human weapon, the jack rabbit-sized Li carries the load on his shifty shoulders in a nostalgic wushu period piece that is philosophically solemn yet kinetically impish in its reflective spirit.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Beginning (Frank's take)
01/11/2006. Although perversely realized, says Frank, the gross-out genre of flesh ripping apart can be somewhat invigorating if handled with a dash of imagination and reckless precision. After all, slaughterhouse cinema relies on that age-old formula of slicing-and-dicing the hormonal kiddies in order for the audience to get its sadistic, sensational rush.

The science of sleep (Mark's take)
01/11/2006. What sounded like a promising premise turns into a gratuitous exercise in not-very-interesting surrealism, says Mark. There may or may not be a complete story underneath all of this, but if there is, it is probably dull and not worth digging for. A young man returning to France after many years in Mexico finds his dreams mixing with reality until we lose interest sorting one from the other and putting together his story.

The Wicker Man (Frank's Take)
01/10/2006. Yikes! Talking about an unintentional comedy of errors, says Frank. Writer-director Neil LaBute's meandering and goofy-minded horror/suspense thriller The Wicker Man will garner more spontaneous chuckles than an overactive feather tickling a sensitive underarm. This doesn't bode very well for a moody piece that's supposed to be intriguing in its macabre skin.

Crank (Frank's Take)
01/10/2006. So folks, posits Frank, ready for another high-voltage convoluted crime drama that overdoses on its adrenaline rush faster than a junkie at a pharmaceutical convention? Well, co-writers/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor thinks so in the monotonously mindless but colourful caper Crank. Balding British badass action star Jason Statham is at it again doing what he does best-kicking butts and aimlessly taking names.

The Covenant (Frank's Take)
01/10/2006. Poor Renny Harlin, says Frank. What in the world happened to this filmmaker to the point of despair? If one were to do a dirty laundry list of all Harlin's unappetizing flicks, they would have to invest in a soap detergent factory just to wipe off the stench. With forgettable fizzles such as Cutthroat Island, Driven, Deep Blue Sea and Exorcist: The Beginning, you would think that the misguided moviemaker would shoot for something digestible to redeem his current curse of flaccid filmmaking.

Hollywoodland
01/10/2006. In 1959 a private detective investigates the apparent suicide of George Reeves, television's Superman. This, says Mark, is an interesting film and its weak sequel inter-cut together. They had an original story in Reeves's life and the uncertainties of his death, but it did not need to be turned into film noir. The revelations are intended to be a shocking look at dirty business in Hollywood, but it rarely ever achieves even surprise. As exposes go, this one is pretty tame.

Trailer park report: animated films
01/10/2006. As is a sort of a yearly tradition for Mark to cover the film studio presentation of upcoming films given at the World Science Fiction Convention. These presentations are a custom that goes back at least as far as MidAmericon in 1976 when a minor filmmaker, George Lucas, showed his designs for his upcoming film, Star Wars. Presentations of upcoming films for the Worldcon became common for a while but are now a dying tradition.

The Illusionist (Mark's Take)
01/10/2006. In this film, finds Mark, a mystical and mysterious stage magician, Eisenheim, becomes the rage of Vienna while working out his own personal love triangle. His childhood sweetheart is now engaged to the Crown Prince. The Prince has the power of his station, and Eisenheim seems to have his own mystical powers. This is a captivating and atmospheric tale that will keep the viewer wondering what is real, what illusion.

The Champions: The Complete Series Special Edition DVD boxset
01/10/2006. DVD - Region 2. pub: Network 7952408. 9 DVDs. 1595 minutes. 30 -50 minute episodes plus many extras. Price: £59.99 (UK). stars: William Gaunt, Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo and Anthony Nicholls.

Doctor Who: The Seeds Of Death
01/10/2006. DVD Region 2: pub: BBC BBCDVD 1151. 145 minutes. 6 episodes with loads of extras. Price: £19.99 (UK)) stars: Patrick Troughton, Fraser Hines, Wendy Padbury and assorted guest stars.

Doctor Who: The Beginning DVD Box Set
01/10/2006. DVD Region 2: pub: BBC BBCDVD 1882. 346 minutes. 3 stories spread over 12 episodes with loads of extras. Price: £ 29.99 (UK))stars: William Hartnell, William Russell, Jacqueline Hill and Carole Ann Ford and assorted guest stars.

Superman Returns (Frank's Take)
01/09/2006. Could Bryan Singer's big-budgeted comic book odyssey that looks to mark the return of the Man of Steel capture the imagination once again for starved audiences looking to welcome back the Caped Wonder, muses Frank?

Snakes on a Plane (Frank's Take)
01/09/2006. It's rather tempting to see what all the fabricated fuss was about in reference to the high altitude horror show Snakes on the Plane, says Frank. Unless you were hiding under a rock on some disclosed island getaway, the Internet-based buzz about this particular movie was running rampart months before the revered reptiles took off on the runway of entertaining speculation.

X-Men: The Last Stand (Frank's Take)
01/09/2006. Sadly, X didn't mark the spot convincingly this time around for director Brett Ratner's third instalment involving our beloved mutant misfits, finds Frank. In X-Men: The Last Stand, Ratner fills up on the eye-popping action pieces and lets everything colourfully go BANG and BOOM with each overindulgent explosion.

Brothers Of The Head (Mark's take)
01/09/2006. A 1977 novella by Brian Aldiss is the basis for this punk rock pseudo-documentary about conjoined twins who become punk rock stars in the mid-1970s, says Mark. The pace is slow, the story is slight, and the music is loud. I must not have been the filmmakers' intended audience.

The Descent (Mark's take)
01/09/2006. Seemingly expanded from some horrific images from The Hobbit, The Descent is a genuinely suspenseful adventure and horror film. Some women get lost in an unexplored cave and run into man-eating cave dwellers. But the scariest monster is the cave itself.

The Great Yokai War (Mark's Take)
01/09/2006. A war is fought in one night with an evil lord and his robotic minions against humans and the monstrous spirits of Japanese folklore, finds Mark. Some of the scale of this film rivals that of The Lord Of The Rings. This is a wild adventure that is not always easy to follow, but it is a font of comedy and macabre imagination with a wonderful Japanese flavour.

Land Of The Dead (Mark's Take)
01/09/2006. What happens when after the dead have returned they set up their own society, posits Mark? George Romero continues his saga of the aftermath of the dead returning to eat the living. Romero is more interested in Technicolor gore effects and in young people shooting big guns than in telling a frightening story. If any thing he has moved from horror to science fiction. But really it is an excuse to create an action film for the teenage crowd on Friday night.

Grand Tour: Disaster In Time
01/08/2006. Region 1 :DVD. Anchor Bay Entertainment DV12055. 99 minute film with no extras. Price: $ 9.98 (US) although I got mine for $ 6.99). Stars: Jeff Daniels, Ariana Richards, Emilia Crow, Jim Hayne, Marilyn Lightstone and George Murdock.

A Scanner Darkly (Mark's Take)
01/08/2006. Richard Linklater adapts one of Philip K. Dick's less cinematic novels into a rotoscoped, animated film. The approach is creative, says Mark, but it still does not overcome the problems of bringing such a contemplative novel to the screen. This becomes just a bland paranoia melodrama set in a very contemporary drug culture. An interesting effort, but it does not work as a film.

Monster House (Mark's Take)
01/08/2006. A house possessed by an angry spirit turns into a monster and is ready swallow all the kids in the neighbourhood when they come trick-or-treating one Halloween, says Mark. Three brave kids have to prevent the disaster. Most of the characters are clichés, but the horror shows some imagination.

Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Mark's Take)
01/08/2006. Captain Jack Sparrow is back in a two-and-a-half-hour story (and that is just the first part) that continues from the previous Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. Much more than the last film, finds Mark, this one returns to the franchise origins as an amusement park ride. This time this film is darker - both literally and figuratively. The characters are established so director Gore Verbinski spent less time developing them and more time skewering them or having them sword fight in rolling mill wheels. But the fun is still there.

The Philadelphia Experiment
01/07/2006. region 0 :DVD. Anchor Bay Entertainment DV11234. 101 minute film with no extras. Price: $ 9.98 (US) although I got mine for $ 6.99). Stars: Michael Paré and Nancy Allen.

The Da Vinci Code (Mark's Take)
01/07/2006. What appears to be a ritual murder in the Louvre leads to the discovery of secrets that could change our concept of two millennia of history. For once, says Mark, we have a thriller that is 90% idea and 10% action rather than the other way around. Ron Howard directs the film adaptation of Dan Brown's international bestseller from a script by Akiva Goldsman.

Superman Returns (Mark's Take)
01/07/2006. Brandon Routh steps into the cape of Superman for the first film in the series in nineteen years. Though it does not seem to hurt the film's box-office prospects, the writing of Superman Returns is full of holes and the film is poorly edited, finds Mark. Audiences may respond to the film's look at Superman's personal life, still superficial, but at greater depth than in the past. The film's subdued colours just do not work for a Superman film.

The Lake House (Mark's Take)
01/07/2006. In this movie, says Mark, A man from 2004 and a woman from 2006 are in mail communication through a magic mailbox outside the same house that each is living in his or her respective year. It could be a good idea, but the fantasy is leaden and refuses to play by the rules it itself set up. So it is not very good as a fantasy and it really does not work as a romance.

X-Men: The Last Stand (Mark's Take)
01/07/2006. In this film Mark discovers that The X-Men face off against the Brotherhood of Mutants in a fracas over a government-sponsored cure for mutant-ness. Are mutants going to savour their special unique natures or are they going to try to be like the "normal" population. It could be an intriguing idea, but the film does not develop the issue in any detail. And this third instalment in the series does not stand well on its own as a film. Viewers who, like me, have only passing knowledge of the X-Men will find that they may be at rather a disadvantage.

An American Haunting (Frank's Take)
01/06/2006. Writer-director Courtney Solomon's flimsy fright fable An American Haunting couldn't scare a lobbyist from a Washington D.C. politician's picnic, finds Frank. Maybe that's because Solomon's supernatural snoozer has all the meditative vibe of a lemon-minted cough drop.

Mission: Impossible III (Frank's take)
01/06/2006. In the exhilarating and explosive action-packed flick Mission: Impossible III, our Frank sees Cruise takes another roller-coaster ride as IMF agent Ethan Hunt for the third time around. The verdict is swift and crafty: the adrenaline rush that is M:I:3 is convincingly enjoyable-MISSION accomplished.

The Da Vinci Code (Frank's Take)
01/06/2006. So the question presents itself as this: will one of the highly controversial event motion pictures of the year stack up to its enormous expectations? After all, says Frank, The Da Vinci Code has a lot riding on its explosive reputation. Not only is it based on the sensational best-selling book penned by Dan Brown, it has also created a worldwide buzz not experienced in quite some time.

See No Evil (Frank's Take)
01/06/2006. In Gregory Dark's generically drab and diluted horror flick See No Evil, the raw-looking wrestler Glen Kane Jacobs grimaces as he revels in the manufactured mayhem courtesy of Dark's lackadaisical connect-the-dots direction.

Slither (Frank's take)
01/05/2006. Writer-director James Gunn's slimy showcase Slither is indeed the epitome of hokey B-movie horror hedonism, says Frank. Instinctively, Gunn incorporates the necessary ingredients that triggers a wry and spry gross-out session: comedic chaos, stilted dialogue, both cheesy and inventive special effects, a convincing and over-indulgent ooze display, gleefully stereotypical yokels, and guilty pleasure blood-curling banality.

Scary Movie 4 (Frank's Take)
01/05/2006. Yeah, muses Franks, we know the deal in terms of the predictable reactions that most movie reviewers and moviegoers will respond differently regarding the stale comedic crassness of yet another Scary Movie entry. See how the mean-spirited critics tear down the spoofing outrageousness of yet another tiring movie franchise that has all the durability of a stick of butter on a scorching Arizona concrete sidewalk.

The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (Mark's take)
01/05/2006. This is a courtroom drama about an alleged demonic possession and the resulting exorcism, finds Mark. The story is loosely based on real events. The Exorcism Of Emily Rose sports a very good cast, solid production values, and an intelligent script. By modern standards the gore is minimal and most of the thrills come from production craftsmanship.

V for Vendetta (Frank's take)
01/05/2006. Let's face it ... V could also stand for vivaciously inviting, Frank discovers. First-time director James McTeigue oversees this wondrous, eye-opening piece of pumped-up popcorn entertainment. In the stylish and roguish comic book thriller V for Vendetta, robust imagery and wildly drawn English-laden anarchy go hand-in-hand in this radical escapist spectacle.

Stargate SG-1 Season Five
01/05/2006. DVD: MGM Home Entertainment 24318DVD MZ1. Price: £21.97 (UK) 22 episodes plus extras. time: 15 hours). Stars: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis and assorted guests.

Village Of The Damned/Children Of The Damned
01/05/2006. DVD- US release. Warner Bros 66918. Price: $12.99 (US). Village: 77mins. Children: 89mins. both black and white films with audio commentaries). Village Of The Damned stars: George Sanders and Barbara Shelley. Children Of The Damned stars: Ian Hendry, Alan Badel, Barbara Ferris and Alfred Burke.

The Shaggy Dog: Frank's Take
01/04/2006. Tim Allen's latest flea-bitten family fare fluff is indeed a dog-both literally and figuratively, says Frank. In Walt Disney's klutzy canine comedy The Shaggy Dog, this gimmicky retread is another Allen-oriented vehicle that's being cranked out but protected under the convenient guise of another innocuous Disney ditty.

Sorry, Haters: Mark's Take
01/04/2006. In this film, Mark discovers a woman, who for no apparent reason, twists people's thoughts and actions intentionally trying to cause a disaster. The idea could and previously has been done well, but here it makes for a thoroughly unpleasant film experience.

V For Vendetta: Mark's Take
01/04/2006. Tyranny breeds groovy anarchy, finds Mark. A future Britain is ruled by a repressive right-wing totalitarian government. But it is about to be challenged by an anarchist swashbuckling hero in a Guy Fawkes mask. Alan Moore's graphic novel is adapted to the screen in a brash adventure. This film is a funhouse of political ideas, some of them intentionally repugnant. You may not entirely agree with the politics, but the film is darkly colourful and fun.

Final Destination 3: Frank's Take
01/03/2006. The reliable formula for pitting carefree teens with terrorizing forces has been an instrumental plot device in the horror genre for what seems to be an eternity in cinema, says Frank. For some inexplicable reasoning, there's a perverse pleasure in watching clueless adolescents meet their Maker in slaughterhouse fashion. Is this some hidden grim wishful thinking that slyly comments on the welcomed eradication of expendable vapid youths?

The Pink Panther: Frank's Take
01/03/2006. Somehow, it would be quite repetitive to beat the same old drum about Hollywood's insistence on revisiting favourable blasts from the past, says Frank. In a way, this latest uninspired edition of Blake Edwards's classic The Pink Panther simply upholds the overwrought trend of rehashing hits from yesteryear by giving them a contemporary makeover.

When A Stranger Calls: Frank's Take
01/03/2006. The derivative horror flick When A Stranger Calls is about as thrilling as a disconnected phone line, says Frank. Director Simon West dials up a wrong number in this flimsy remake of the 1979 B-movie thriller starring Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Carol Kane and a respectable supporting cast.

Bloodrayne (Frank's Take)
01/02/2006. One must hand it to German filmmaker Uwe Boll, says Frank, in terms of being consistent when beginning this year's movie season with one of the genre's trademark vacuous video-game-to-film features. But is the movie BloodRayne more to Frank's taste? Is it heck?

Immortal (Mark's Take)
01/02/2006. In 2095 New York the Egyptian God Horus possesses a male human in order to procreate with a female alien. A Métal Hurlant sort of story is wedded to Métal Hurlant sort of visual images. The visuals may be temporarily very impressive, but the film really offers very little in story value. When it is all over, Mark thinks we are supposed to feel we have seen something momentous, but he doesn't think he knows exactly what.

Hoodwinked! (Frank's Take)
01/02/2006. There's always room for a funky-minded fairy tale presented in the form of an engaging animated feature, says Frank. Writer-director siblings Corey and Todd Edwards have a giddy blast retelling the Little Red Riding Hood story in Rashomon-style treatment in the sassy and entertaining Hoodwinked!

Godzilla: Final Wars (Mark's Take)
01/02/2006. Familiar monsters are attacking major international cities. Toho again bids farewell to their Godzilla series. This final film offers a lot of sound and fury and weaves fourteen copyright Toho monsters into one plot, but the film offers nothing that is both new and of interest. The plot is a re-tread of that of Destroy All Monsters, muses Mark. There is a lot of action and some nostalgia, but it is one of the worst Godzilla plots in years.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe Special Edition Original Soundtrack composed by Harry Gregson-Williams
01/02/2006. CD: Walt Disney Records 5008 61373-7 17 tracks. 70 minutes. DVD disk (Region 1): behind the scenes extras. Price: $24.95 (US) although this can vary to $ (US) when I looked around.

War Of The Worlds: Mark's Take
01/01/2006. This is a somewhat faithful but otherwise unsavoury and highly unsatisfying updating of the H. G. Wells novel. Aliens conquer the world in six-legged crab-like war machines, says Mark. The film has the impact of a Sci-Fi Channel film and the writing may not even be that good. Overall this is the least satisfying of the four film adaptations to date.

Aeon Flux: Frank's Take
01/01/2006. The standby decision not to screen Aeon Flux for critics may have been justified, decides Frank. After all, why would Paramount Pictures risk the uneasy notion of having sceptical movie reviewers bad-mouth their sci-fi jolting gibberish which could hurt the box office potential of seeing desirable Charlize Theron bend like a rubber pretzel in a tight-fitting black outfit?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Frank's Take
01/01/2006. The expansive fourth instalment of the Harry Potter film series has arrived and promises not to disappoint in the latest exploits of the harried Boy Wizard, finds Frank. Director Mike Newell's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire gleefully explores its boisterous realm with skilful exuberance.

King Kong: Frank's Take
01/01/2006. So the Great Ape returns to the scene of the crime! It's very evident that a superb filmmaker in the disciplined form of Peter Jackson could bring one of filmdom's classic beloved beasts to grand cinematic life after various screen interpretations, says Frank. Jackson, the masterful helmer behind the theatrical phenomenon known as The Lord of the Rings experience, doesn't disappoint movie fans of the Huge Hairy One with his characteristic urgency of boisterous scope and precision.

The Brothers Grimm: Mark's Take
01/01/2006. The Brothers Grimm is a funhouse of ideas and visual surprises but a story with no centre and virtually no characters, says Mark. It is more imaginative than the similar Van Helsing is, but it has many of the same faults. Terry Gilliam has to realize that there is a lot more to film than creating unexpected and amazing images. There is certainly enchantment here, but the story does not do much to hold it together.

King Kong: Mark's Take
01/01/2006. Peter Jackson's long-time ambition to make a new version of King Kong is fulfilled with a great yet respectful expansion and remake, says Mark. PJ finds enough ways to improve the original film that even die-hard fans should be impressed. There is a lot of film here for a single admission ticket.

The chronicles of narnia: the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe: Mark's Take
01/01/2006. Disney Studios brings the best-known chapter of C. S. Lewis's Narnia books to the screen, says Mark. Shooting in New Zealand is only one way in which this film mimics The Lord Of The Rings. But somehow one never really cares much for the four children who generally just do the obvious. Aslan is a big lion, but also just a cipher and is much less interesting than even Kong.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire: Mark's Take
01/01/2006. Harry Potter's fourth outing has enough stylistic changes to keep the series interesting, discovers Mark. There is a new style with fewer sports, less frivolous humour, and a little more darkness. There is even a little romance as Harry, his friends, and the series matures.

The Impact of Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone
01/01/2006. I was this past week on a panel discussing the television show The Twilight Zone, says Mark. It brought back a lot of good memories of the late 1950s and early 1960s when my life really was divided in two pieces: watching The Twilight Zone and waiting for the next Twilight Zone. I don't think that there is any television show that had the impact on me that that series did.

My Name Is Modesty
01/01/2006. DVD: Miramax 31520. Price: $20.99 (US). Region One). stars: Alexandra Staden, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Raymond Cruz, Fred Pearson and Eugenia Yuan.

Knight Rider Series Two DVD Boxset
01/01/2006. DVD. Univeral Studios 8235550. 24 episodes and no extras. Price: £24.99 (UK) - it varies so shop around for the best deal). stars: David Hasselhoff, Edward Mulhare, Rebecca Holden and William Daniels.