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(11/09/00 5:00am)
Capitalizing on the success of John Woo's recent flicks like "Face/Off" and "Mission:Impossible 2," his seminal ballets of blood are reaching DVD for the first time in a wide-release box set. These two films feature international superstar (and rightly so) Chow Yun-Fat, in roles where he has charisma to burn, guns in both hands and a cigarette and/or toothpick protruding from his mouth.\n"The Killer" and "Hard Boiled" are essentially cop vs. criminal sagas; however, what separates these two flicks from the pack is most assuredly Woo's signature action sequences that simultaneously draw feelings of awe and shock from viewers. Neither film is rated, and rightfully so. Each contains sequences of almost unparalleled violence and, as such, shouldn't be viewed by the squeamish.\nBoth discs contain 3-D motion menus, running commentary with Woo and producer Terrence Chang, subtitle control and language options of English (in a hilariously bad dub) or Cantonese, and while these features are not necessarily the greatest, the real treat to be had are the films themselves.
(11/09/00 5:00am)
The highest grossing and possibly most genuinely enjoyable popcorn flick of this past year in abominable cinema was released upon the DVD format this past Tuesday. \nTom Cruise returns as super-suave secret agent Ethan Hunt. This time out he teams with mega-hottie Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) in order to prevent renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from unleashing a deadly virus upon an unsuspecting populace. Director John Woo brings his kinetic sensibilities to the flick, in the process giving the franchise a much needed shot of adrenaline. Although the flick is PG-13, i.e. Woo Lite, it still rocks.\nThe disc contains a beautiful widescreen presentation of the film, "Behind the Mission" exclusive cast and crew interviews, "Mission Incredible" stunts featurette, commentary by John Woo, Metallica's "I Disappear" music video from the film's soundtrack, an alternate title sequence and the topper, "Mission Improbable," an "M:I-2" spoof from this year's MTV Movie Awards featuring an inspired turn by Ben Stiller. What with the bevy of extras and an all-around solid film to begin with, "M:I-2" is a worthy addition to any action aficianado's DVD collection.
(11/09/00 2:37am)
Mel Gibson's underappreciated (both in terms of box office and critical praise) Revolutionary War epic recently made its debut upon the DVD format in a pristine Special Edition cut.\nGibson headlines the film as Benjamin Martin, a seasoned veteran of the French and Indian conflict and doting father of six. At the war's inception, Martin's eldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger, a slightly annoying pretty boy with decent acting chops nonetheless) enlists with the rebel forces, much to his father's chagrin. Conflict ensues, and a massive body count quickly accumulates as viewers see a stagnant Mel transform into his badass persona of yore.\n"The Patriot's" DVD has numerous additional features that include commentary by both director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin (the guys responsible for that cinematic turd otherwise known as "Godzilla"), visual effects interactive featurette (mini-documentaries), a battlefield featurette called "The Art of War," storyboard to film comparisons, various deleted scenes and the film's theatrical trailer.\n"The Patriot" is an excellent addition to any DVD connoisseurs' collection and besides that, where else would you be able to see Mel Gibson thwack a Redcoat in the skull with a hatchet or watch a man become decapitated by a seemingly possessed cannonball?
(11/09/00 2:37am)
Capitalizing on the success of John Woo's recent flicks like "Face/Off" and "Mission:Impossible 2," his seminal ballets of blood are reaching DVD for the first time in a wide-release box set. These two films feature international superstar (and rightly so) Chow Yun-Fat, in roles where he has charisma to burn, guns in both hands and a cigarette and/or toothpick protruding from his mouth.\n"The Killer" and "Hard Boiled" are essentially cop vs. criminal sagas; however, what separates these two flicks from the pack is most assuredly Woo's signature action sequences that simultaneously draw feelings of awe and shock from viewers. Neither film is rated, and rightfully so. Each contains sequences of almost unparalleled violence and, as such, shouldn't be viewed by the squeamish.\nBoth discs contain 3-D motion menus, running commentary with Woo and producer Terrence Chang, subtitle control and language options of English (in a hilariously bad dub) or Cantonese, and while these features are not necessarily the greatest, the real treat to be had are the films themselves.
(11/09/00 2:36am)
The highest grossing and possibly most genuinely enjoyable popcorn flick of this past year in abominable cinema was released upon the DVD format this past Tuesday. \nTom Cruise returns as super-suave secret agent Ethan Hunt. This time out he teams with mega-hottie Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) in order to prevent renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from unleashing a deadly virus upon an unsuspecting populace. Director John Woo brings his kinetic sensibilities to the flick, in the process giving the franchise a much needed shot of adrenaline. Although the flick is PG-13, i.e. Woo Lite, it still rocks.\nThe disc contains a beautiful widescreen presentation of the film, "Behind the Mission" exclusive cast and crew interviews, "Mission Incredible" stunts featurette, commentary by John Woo, Metallica's "I Disappear" music video from the film's soundtrack, an alternate title sequence and the topper, "Mission Improbable," an "M:I-2" spoof from this year's MTV Movie Awards featuring an inspired turn by Ben Stiller. What with the bevy of extras and an all-around solid film to begin with, "M:I-2" is a worthy addition to any action aficianado's DVD collection.
(11/09/00 2:33am)
Self-proclaimed nerds and all-around butt-kicking rock trio Ben Folds Five disbanded Tuesday. Following six years together, the deceptively and jokingly named band officially called it quits.\n"The band is splitting on good terms," singer/pianist Ben Folds said in a statement. "We are very proud of our three albums, our little hit and our audience. Now is the time to bow out with dignity rather than to make that final 'cash-in' record and tour which, of course, is very tempting."\nAnd while I agree with Mr. Folds that selling out is the last thing an artist of his and his bandmates' caliber should be doing, I can't necessarily agree that breaking up is necessarily the solution to that problem. Of course, this is an outsider's perspective looking in, but with the artistic merit achieved with the band's final work, the concept album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, one could only see these artists maturing and progressing toward that one impeccable, master work.\nAccording to rollingstone.com, Folds is holed up in an Australian studio hammering out a new solo album, tentatively scheduled for release in the spring and is also contributing a track entitled "Lonely Christmas Eve" to the soundtrack to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Drummer Darren Jessee has been toiling with new material for nearly a year and is trying to assemble a new band, and bassist Robert Sledge is also gathering members for another group while producing bands in Chapel Hill, N.C., Ben Folds Five's home.\nUnlike many of their modern rock compatriots, Folds and company had a unique sound driven through the infrequently implemented standing bass and piano, which made them easily discernable and refreshingly different. \nMy only run-in with the band came during the last week of my sophomore year in high school. I saw Ben Folds Five at the Fort Wayne Coliseum, luckily a small enough venue so that my friends and I could actually see and hear the band clearly. It was my first rock concert, and although other bands (who were perfectly good in their own right) played that evening, it was unimportant to me, because I had seen this bizarre trio who played heartfelt and funny songs with magnetism and honesty. I was hooked, both to the band and to live rock music as a whole. I've seen numerous bands since, but none have come close to the sheer energy and entertainment displayed by Ben Folds Five.
(11/03/00 1:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cashing in on the love-it-or-hate-it cultural phenomenon of last year, "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" is an interesting yet highly flawed horror flick and a cynical marketing ploy.
(11/03/00 7:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>South Florida metal band Nonpoint made a pretty decent debut with its freshman release Statement.
(11/03/00 5:00am)
For many a single and soon-to-be-single young and slightly dorky man, last Thursday was a historic date. No, some third-world regime wasn't overthrown, and no major/beneficial legislation reached our Supreme Court. Thursday saw the launch of the highly anticipated Playstation 2 game system, and luckily enough for me, my roommate happened to procure one.\nNow for the aftermath. What will happen to my academic standing in light of this glorious black and cobalt box? Will my girlfriend be supportive of the considerable amount of time spent between me and my roommate's gaming console? And why do I suck so much at Winter X Games Snowboarding in comparison to my friends? These, amongst many other questions, dance about my head like a perfectly pixled football player featured within Madden 2001 (currently available for PS2) would about an end zone.\nMy roommate and two of our buddies threw caution to the wind and decided to wait for the PS2 shipment at Bloomington's very own K-Mart retailer. Suffice it to say the wait was arduous and chock full of "Deliverance"-esque moppets from bordering counties and guys, who believe it or not, were dorkier than my friends and I. The wait was so terrible, in fact, that the guys temporarily accepted a brief lapse in technology and reverted back to, gasp… a board game. Risk specifically. What a coup!\nWas the system worth the 10-hour wait that my friends endured? I not being there and having since reaped the fruits of labor enthusiastically say "Hell yes!" But oddly enough they (having been there and all) actually concur with me, despite having since developed a deep-seeded hate for K-Mart. This system is sweet, and better yet, it is multi-faceted.\nNot only does the system play the newest and most technologically sound games out there in 128 bits of glory, it also plays old Playstation games, audio CDs, video discs, burned CDs and, at least in my humble opinion, the jewel in the technological crown, DVDs. \nHaving absorbed the superiority that is Playstation 2, am I the same? No, not really. I'm addicted; I crave the console like a crack whore craves rocks. Food, drink and bodily hygiene; all are sacrificed for PS2. Men of my generation find comfort through having a controller clutched between their sweaty little claws. We are servants to the machine, both damning and thanking Sony for its almighty creation. \nAnd with Christmas quickly approaching, Sony will begin peddling addiction to the masses. PS2 is this year's variation on Tickle Me Elmo, except not sucky.\nBetter than drugs, sex, alcohol or whatever other vices you might possess, PS2 allows gamers to have their fantasies actualized from the comfort of the closest futon or La-Z-Boy, and all without the inconvenience STDs, rehab or the beloved hangover provide. The greatest consequence of shacking up with the PS2 is having a bout with sore thumbs; that is, unless you consider the loss of a social life a loss.
(11/03/00 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>South Florida metal band Nonpoint made a pretty decent debut with its freshman release Statement.
(11/03/00 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cashing in on the love-it-or-hate-it cultural phenomenon of last year, "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" is an interesting yet highly flawed horror flick and a cynical marketing ploy.
(11/03/00 3:48am)
For many a single and soon-to-be-single young and slightly dorky man, last Thursday was a historic date. No, some third-world regime wasn't overthrown, and no major/beneficial legislation reached our Supreme Court. Thursday saw the launch of the highly anticipated Playstation 2 game system, and luckily enough for me, my roommate happened to procure one.\nNow for the aftermath. What will happen to my academic standing in light of this glorious black and cobalt box? Will my girlfriend be supportive of the considerable amount of time spent between me and my roommate's gaming console? And why do I suck so much at Winter X Games Snowboarding in comparison to my friends? These, amongst many other questions, dance about my head like a perfectly pixled football player featured within Madden 2001 (currently available for PS2) would about an end zone.\nMy roommate and two of our buddies threw caution to the wind and decided to wait for the PS2 shipment at Bloomington's very own K-Mart retailer. Suffice it to say the wait was arduous and chock full of "Deliverance"-esque moppets from bordering counties and guys, who believe it or not, were dorkier than my friends and I. The wait was so terrible, in fact, that the guys temporarily accepted a brief lapse in technology and reverted back to, gasp… a board game. Risk specifically. What a coup!\nWas the system worth the 10-hour wait that my friends endured? I not being there and having since reaped the fruits of labor enthusiastically say "Hell yes!" But oddly enough they (having been there and all) actually concur with me, despite having since developed a deep-seeded hate for K-Mart. This system is sweet, and better yet, it is multi-faceted.\nNot only does the system play the newest and most technologically sound games out there in 128 bits of glory, it also plays old Playstation games, audio CDs, video discs, burned CDs and, at least in my humble opinion, the jewel in the technological crown, DVDs. \nHaving absorbed the superiority that is Playstation 2, am I the same? No, not really. I'm addicted; I crave the console like a crack whore craves rocks. Food, drink and bodily hygiene; all are sacrificed for PS2. Men of my generation find comfort through having a controller clutched between their sweaty little claws. We are servants to the machine, both damning and thanking Sony for its almighty creation. \nAnd with Christmas quickly approaching, Sony will begin peddling addiction to the masses. PS2 is this year's variation on Tickle Me Elmo, except not sucky.\nBetter than drugs, sex, alcohol or whatever other vices you might possess, PS2 allows gamers to have their fantasies actualized from the comfort of the closest futon or La-Z-Boy, and all without the inconvenience STDs, rehab or the beloved hangover provide. The greatest consequence of shacking up with the PS2 is having a bout with sore thumbs; that is, unless you consider the loss of a social life a loss.
(10/26/00 9:51am)
The most refreshingly sincere new show this fall is NBC's "Ed." The title character (played by Thomas Cavanagh), a New York City lawyer hotshot, has just been fired from his job and has just caught his wife cheating on him. He leaves to find peace and love in his small home town of Stuckeyville. The show works because it is not so much about a fish out of water as it is about the merits of being a big fish in a little pond.\nExecutive produced by David Letterman, it is quite surprising how free of cynicism Ed is, but not at all surprising how funny the hour-long dramady has been so far. Reminiscent of "Picket Fences" and "Northern Exposure," Ed focuses on a few characters but has an outstandingly quirky supporting cast.
(10/26/00 9:47am)
"Dark Angel" is a post-apocalyptic actioneer created by genre maestro James Cameron. Jessica Alba (veteran of such crappy flicks as "Never Been Kissed" and "Idle Hands") stars as Max, a genetically engineered pickpocket who doles out many a beating to the various inhabitants of Seattle's criminal underbelly while avoiding the militaristic unit that birthed her.\nWorlds better than that little boat movie Cameron made a few years back, but not quite up to snuff with his "Terminator" flicks, "Dark Angel" is a pretty decent addition to this fall's line-up. Sporting above-par fights, stunts and special effects in addition to a game cast, i.e. Alba. Part "Buffy," part "Perfect Dark" and part "Dawson's Creek," "Dark Angel" is a show that rocks like few do.
(10/26/00 9:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Legend of Drunken Master" is the latest re-release in a long string of Jackie Chan Hong Kong chopsocky flicks displaced upon American soil, and perhaps the best. Sporting fight sequences rivaled only by Bruce Lee's Kung Fu epic "Enter the Dragon" or Jet Li's "Fist of Legend," Chan's "Drunken Master" definitely earns its coveted spot amongst the very best martial arts flicks.
(10/26/00 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Legend of Drunken Master" is the latest re-release in a long string of Jackie Chan Hong Kong chopsocky flicks displaced upon American soil, and perhaps the best. Sporting fight sequences rivaled only by Bruce Lee's Kung Fu epic "Enter the Dragon" or Jet Li's "Fist of Legend," Chan's "Drunken Master" definitely earns its coveted spot amongst the very best martial arts flicks.
(10/26/00 4:00am)
"Dark Angel" is a post-apocalyptic actioneer created by genre maestro James Cameron. Jessica Alba (veteran of such crappy flicks as "Never Been Kissed" and "Idle Hands") stars as Max, a genetically engineered pickpocket who doles out many a beating to the various inhabitants of Seattle's criminal underbelly while avoiding the militaristic unit that birthed her.\nWorlds better than that little boat movie Cameron made a few years back, but not quite up to snuff with his "Terminator" flicks, "Dark Angel" is a pretty decent addition to this fall's line-up. Sporting above-par fights, stunts and special effects in addition to a game cast, i.e. Alba. Part "Buffy," part "Perfect Dark" and part "Dawson's Creek," "Dark Angel" is a show that rocks like few do.
(10/26/00 4:00am)
The most refreshingly sincere new show this fall is NBC's "Ed." The title character (played by Thomas Cavanagh), a New York City lawyer hotshot, has just been fired from his job and has just caught his wife cheating on him. He leaves to find peace and love in his small home town of Stuckeyville. The show works because it is not so much about a fish out of water as it is about the merits of being a big fish in a little pond.\nExecutive produced by David Letterman, it is quite surprising how free of cynicism Ed is, but not at all surprising how funny the hour-long dramady has been so far. Reminiscent of "Picket Fences" and "Northern Exposure," Ed focuses on a few characters but has an outstandingly quirky supporting cast.
(10/19/00 11:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>"The Ladies Man" has broken a stigma among many a Saturday Night Live movie (excluding "Wayne's World") because it doesn't completely and utterly suck.
(10/19/00 10:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Emerging from the house that Hootie built, Breaking Records, comes Orlando-based rockers Virginwool and its freshman effort, Open Heart Surgery.
While the band doesn't "blow" as much as a majority of Orlando's musical sons, i.e. most of the boy bands inundating pop music, they aren't entirely good.
