George Mckenna Story (1986) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I seriously doubt Mr. Denzel Washington is able to give anything less than a performance of total conviction, as he proves once again to me here in one of his earliest leading roles. In a true-life portrayal of George McKenna, new principal to the trouble-torn George Washington Memorial High School, he is wholly convincing. The problems he encounters are not solely those caused by the students, but also the parents and indeed some of the teachers. His determination to turn things round stems from his passion that his pupils WILL graduate to college if they want to, and that this will never happen if they don't feel anyone cares about them. Despite resistance from some pupils and teachers,(not to mention ongoing gang warfare within the grounds), others rise to the occasion, both for themselves and for McKenna himself, such is the respect he gains. In the process of such diligence his once supportive girlfriend leaves him under the pressure of his split commitments, but as for the School, he succeeds. Seeing the graduating students really is a heartwarming moment! Having previously seen "187", it does make the violent scenes and troublesome pupils here look bland by comparison, but its hard to tell if this film was sanitised or "187" sensationalised. Regardless, its still well worth the watch, especially if you respect Denzel's work in later movies already.

Click Here to see more reviews about: George Mckenna Story (1986)

Click here for more information about George Mckenna Story (1986)

Read More...

Mesmerized (1984) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The premise for the film is intriguing. It is based upon the Victoria Thompson murder trial that took place in New Zealand during the late nineteenth century. Victoria is raised is some sort of orphanage from birth. At the age of seventeen, it is arranged for her to marry Mr. Thompson, a weird, older man whom she has never before met. She dutifully marries him, and when she comes of age goes to live with him in his home, which is run by his two creepy servants. Victoria soon discovers just how weird her husband really is. She ultimately takes the bull by the horns and finds herself standing trial for his murder by the time she is nineteen years old.
Jodie Foster places the role of Victoria Thompson, as if she were doing so under duress. She takes a character that is potentially sympathetic and makes her merely pathetic, leaving the viewer cold. John Lithgow fares somewhat better, as he does a credible job playing the weird Mr. Thompson, doing the best he can with the material with which he has to work. The film, unfortunately, is choppy and poorly edited, the story so muddled as to be nearly incomprehensible. The direction seems to be almost nonexistant, as it looks like it is every man for himself.
This film was originally released under the title, "Mesmerized". Word about the film must have traveled fast, as bad news so often does. When the DVD was released, it was retitled as "Shocked". The only thing shocking about this film is that it was ever released in the first place. It is a complete travesty.
The DVD itself has no meaningful special features of which to speak. The quality of the film is very poor, grainy and fuzzy. Even the cover art of the DVD has nothing to do with the film. It is simply a photograph of a contemporary Jodie Foster. All in all, this DVD is not worth buying. The only reason this film was not rated one star was due to John Lithgow's performance. If you are not a John Lithgow fan, deduct one star.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mesmerized (1984)

Click here for more information about Mesmerized (1984)

Read More...

Panic Room (Superbit Collection) (2002) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had to wonder, coming out of the theater, if PANIC ROOM wasn't David Fincher's attempt to Keep Hollywood Happy. After his brilliant FIGHT CLUB suffered mixed reviews and box office failure, he must have been aware that he needed a Big Hit if he wanted to keep making movies.
Enter PANIC ROOM, a dark, sharp thriller which showcases the talents of Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker in a cat-and-mouse game between the new owner of a house and the builder of its security systems who is hoping to steal something the previous owner left behind: Whitaker and his crew break in, thinking the new occupants haven't yet moved in, and Foster has time to rush herself and her daughter into the house's Panic Room, an extremely secure high-tech saferoom: the room keeps the intruders out, but it also keeps their intended victims in.
Foster is brilliant as the claustrophobic mom who will do anything to keep her daughter safe, but the film comes up short when she makes choices that most of the audience will perceive as short-sighted at best and stupid at worst. Foster overcomes this script shortcoming by playing the choices convincingly--you can read the conundrum in her face and believe in her reasoning when she makes the poor choice.
It's a credit to Whitaker that his "villain" character remains sympathetic throughout--he's not the sort of terrorist-cum-robber that made Alan Rickman famous in DIE HARD. You find yourself hoping that some accord can be reached--that he can just get what he wants and get out safely. Unfortunately, his psychotic partners-in-crime make that an impossibility.
Fincher has always done an excellent job of taking us to the dark side of things, leading the camera into places that the human eye could never see. I'm not sure PANIC ROOM will have the staying power and rewatchability of FIGHT CLUB or SE7EN, but it's definitely the sort of taut thriller that's been missing from the A-movie circuit for years. Not quite a Popcorn Movie...more like a hint of Summer in early Spring.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panic Room (Superbit Collection) (2002)

An effective exercise in "confined cinema," "Panic Room" is a finely crafted thriller that ultimately transcends the thinness of its premise. David Koepp's screenplay is basically "Wait Until Dark" on steroids, so director David Fincher ("Seven", "The Game") compensates with elaborate CGI-assisted camera moves, jazzing up his visuals while a relocated New York divorc?©e (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) fight for their lives against a trio of tenacious burglars (Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam) in their new Manhattan townhouse. They're safe in a customized, impenetrable "panic room," but the burglars want what's in the room's safe, so mother and daughter (and Koepp and Fincher) must find clever ways to turn the tables and persevere. Suspense and intelligence are admirably maintained, with Foster (who replaced the then-injured Nicole Kidman) riffing on her "Silence of the Lambs" resourcefulness. It's not as viscerally satisfying as Fincher's previous thrillers, but "Panic Room" definitely holds your attention. "--Jeff Shannon"

Get 41% OFF

Click here for more information about Panic Room (Superbit Collection) (2002)

Read More...

Flightplan (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Kyle Pratt and her daughter Julia board a plane in Germany to bring the body of their beloved husband/father to his final resting place in the US. After a short nap, Kyle wakes only to discover her daughter is missing from her seat. After searching on her own, she seeks help from the crew, but none of the passengers remember seeing Julia. After further inquiries, it is disclosed that Julia wasn't even listed as traveling on the flight. Everyone writes Kyle off as being in mourning, and even unstable. For just a moment Kyle starts to believe she may be losing it, but then stands firm. Julia is her daughter, and she would not make this kind of mistake regarding something so important. As Kyle begins her own search, it shocks everyone to find out that she is in fact one of the propulsion engineers of this plane and will be searching every inch to locate her daughter.
At first I couldn't believe that none of the passengers would admit to seeing Julia, but then as they are interviewed, it is amazing how many were too busy with families, business, etc. to really notice or pay attention. I expect it is pretty much how we all are. As Kyle's sanity is brought into question, we start to wonder who is right. Did we really see Julia? Jodie Foster is so strong in this movie. I like that she is proactive instead of reactive.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Flightplan (Widescreen Edition) (2005)

Academy Award(R) winner Jodie Foster (Best Actress, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, 1991) gives an outstanding performance in the heart-pumping action thriller FLIGHTPLAN. Flying at 40,000 feet in a state-of-the art aircraft that she helped design, Kyle Pratt's (Foster) 6-year-old daughter Julia vanishes without a trace. Or did she? No one on the plane believes Julia was ever onboard. And now Kyle, desperate and alone, can only count on her own wits to unravel the mystery and save her daughter. From the producer of APOLLO 13 and A BEAUTIFUL MIND, FLIGHTPLAN is an intense, suspense-filled thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire flight.

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Flightplan (Widescreen Edition) (2005)

Read More...

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Cartoon Network telecast this on August 14, which is what prompted me to write this review. I only caught bits and pieces of it. The animation alone is worth getting the DVD for. It's crisp, colorful and very much like old school MGM Hanna-Barbera, Fred Quimby, etc. Plot, character and set design seems to follow the 1939 movie almost exactly, which is nice. If you are a fan of classic Tom and Jerry, you'll like this. If you are a fan of the Wizard of Oz, you'll think this is an interesting point of view on the story. This needs to be telecast every holiday season along with the movie.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Get 24% OFF

Click here for more information about Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Read More...