Ladder 49
October 22, 2005
The fact that Ladder 49 (2004) celebrates firefighters is admirable in and of itself but it unfortunately portrays them in such a simplistic way that Ron Howard’s Backdraft (1991) seems like the epitome of moral complexity by comparison. You know you’re...
The Woodsman
October 14, 2005
Kevin Bacon has had an interesting career to the say the least. In the ‘80s, he was being groomed as a leading man with Footloose (1984) but ended up rejecting these kinds of films in favour of memorable supporting roles in the ‘90s with the likes...
Astro Boy: The Complete Series
October 13, 2005
This latest incarnation of Astro Boy (2003) is an update of the classic anime created by Tezuka Osamu that was one of the key shows that fueled a cult following the genre had in North America. All 50 episodes of this series (including 29 that never aired...
Predator 2: Special Edition
October 11, 2005
Want some candy? Ah yes, the early nineties: those were the days. The bigger the hero’s gun, the cooler he was. No worrying about offending people about terrorism as you went about blowing up everything that moved, or how the focus groups would...
Sideways
October 11, 2005
Alexander Payne’s last film, About Schmidt (2002), continued his fascination with American cinema in the ‘70s by featuring one its biggest (and most prolific) stars, Jack Nicholson. His latest movie, Sideways (2004), continues the road movie motif...
The Lone Gunmen: The Complete Series
October 7, 2005
It must’ve seemed like a good idea at the time. Take the three most popular supporting characters from The X-Files and give them their own show. A few episodes aired before it promptly disappeared from our TV screens. So, what happened? Had Chris Carter...
Suspect Zero
October 6, 2005
Suspect Zero (2004) is yet another tired entry in the exhausted serial killer genre. This time out, Ben Kingsley gets his turn to play a creepy sociopath (although, he’s more John Doe from Seven than Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs)—at least...
Enduring Love
October 6, 2005
There is something missing from British cinema, and Enduring Love is the best attempt at a clever, thought-provoking psychological thriller/drama that is ever gonna try and rival its American counterparts. This adaptation of an Ian McEwan best-selling...
The Final Cut
October 6, 2005
The Final Cut (2004) takes place in the near future where it is possible to have a device implanted in your body that records your life through your own eyes, from when you are born to when you die. Alan Hakman (Williams) is a “cutter,” someone who...
Criminal
October 6, 2005
Based on the movie, Nine Queens (2000), Criminal (2004) is the directorial debut of Gregory Jacobs, a protégé of filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (who also co-produced the movie). Stylistically speaking, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. The...
