A - Multiple Viewing Possibilities
B - Deserves Another Look
C - Once Should Suffice

SADE LIVE
The lady with the immaculate voice sounds great on record, but pulls it off equally flawless in the live environment. This mid-90s show features some of her best known and loved songs like The Sweetest Taboo, Love Is Stronger Than Pride, Smooth Operator, No Ordinary Love and Paradise, not to mention Your Love Is King, Red Eye, Haunt Me, Pearls, Cherry Pie and Cherish The Day - 18 songs in all. Her graceful presence illuminates the stage as her band hit every note. Sade's class separates her from your average female solo artist. Special features include Sade's biography and discography.
5 / B
- PB

SADE - Lovers Live
This twin package contains Sade's long awaited album Lovers Rock on CD as well as the Lovers Live DVD. With 22 tracks, she performs Lovers Rock in its entirety, scattered amoung many old favourites (Smooth Operator, Jezebel, Paradise, The Sweetest Taboo, No Ordinary Love and Is It A Crime; plus Cherish The Day, Kiss Of Life, Pearls and more). The show is a smooth, atmospheric experience, Sade's voice carrying the entire evening. Additional material includes backstage footage, King Of Sorrow music video and classy stills from the tour. Message To Sade by The Polish Brothers is a collection of interviews with fans (sending messages, some singing her songs, one guy even proposing). As a Pop-Jazz icon Sade's fans have been patient and loyal during her long absence, proving their support with this release. A fine performance from both Sade and her band captures the emotion of each song, spellbinding the audience completely.
5 / A
- PB

SAHARA
With Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, Penelope Cruz, Lambert Wilson, Delroy Lindo, William H. Macy
Directed by Breck Eisner
McConaughey (also executive producer) stars in this action-adventure comedy romp in the desert as adventurer Dirk Pitt (with a tan and facial hair that makes him look like a Spanish gigolo). Pitt and his wisecracking buddy (Zahn) head out to West Africa to try and track down a lost American Civil War battleship with a valuable cargo that was never found. People are also dying inexplicably in the area, and together with the romantic interest (a world health worker played by Cruz), they get to the bottom of some serious underhanded dealings with life-threatening results, wild action set pieces and ludicrous scenarios. Fun, but no Indiana Jones.
Bonus features include multiple commentary tracks, deleted scenes and documentaries.
3 / C
- PB

SANTANA - Sacred Fire (Live In Mexico)

SANTANA - Live By Request
Since the late '60s Carlos Santana had a firm grip on his unique combination of Rock and Latin musical flavours, filled with rhythm and fire. This recent performance sees (and hears) the cream of the crop from Santana's prolific career. The man's fingers are still more than nimble on the guitar's fret board. Songs include Black Magic Woman, Oye Camo Va, Evil Ways, Foo Foo, Soul Sacrifice, and Adouma, as well as Smooth and Dame Tu Amor (with Rob Thomas), The Game Of Love (with Michelle Branch), and Maria Maria (with The Product G&B). Unfortunately no extra material is included.
5 / B
- PB

The SARAH BRIGHTMAN Special - HAREM a desert fantasy…
This one-hour journey takes you through the creation of Sarah Brightman's Harem album. The Arabic word for forbidden place, the Western association is usually misconstrued as a brothel, which is not exactly the case. Contributors to the sound of the record include Egyptian musicians lending a haunting North African and Middle Eastern desert mood with traditional pipes & drums, like the Lebanese percussion. From these location recordings they also zipped by Abbey Road studios for some Nigel Kennedy violin. There is the orchestra and choirs, all supplementing Brightman's amazing voice. At the German studios the vocals and modernized electronics are added to the organic, earthy sounds, produced by Frank Peterson. Jaz Coleman (ex-Killing Joke) created the orchestration. Sarah's fantastic voice is obviously one of the highlights. A half hour behind-the-scenes documentary takes you through the process and includes the Harem video shot in Morocco and Egypt. The video can also be viewed in an alternate version (depicting the recording process & locations). Tracks from the album are scattered throughout the DVD and the music has a vast cinematic feel to it, sometimes tasting like a 007 movie. Makes you think, isn't it time they use Sarah for a James Bond theme song i.s.o. some mainstream pop choice? There's a location photo shoot & Photo Gallery. Sarah is extremely photogenic, seeming like a bushy haired frumpy lass, but styled & lighted she looks amazing. You've probably seen bits of this on TV with the album's release, but the DVD contains the whole deal. You'll can also access a detailed text Biography and Discography. With 15 million album sales under her garter, Brightman has come a long way since the Phantom Of the Opera... but I'm not so sure whether the album's release was good or bad timing (coming out around the 2nd Gulf War).
4 / C
- PB

SARAH BRIGHTMAN - LA LUNA: Live In Concert
I had tickets to go see Sarah Brightman in concert when she swung by our Mother City, but didn't get to the show. So, this DVD is the closest I'll get to it, for now. This package not only includes 26 live songs wonderfully performed across her repertoire for the La Luna show with all of its beautiful stage extras, but also an added bunch of footage to send shivers down Sarah fans' spines. Songs include La Lune, Scarbborough Fair, Who Wants to Live Forever, Pie Jesu, Nessun Dorma, Phantom of the Opera Suite and more. The special features include an interview, behind the scenes of the show, recording of the album, photo shoots, after parties and rehearsals, including some spectacularly effective stage gimmicks. A music video of A Whiter Shade Of Pale is also included. This DVD is a full, well-packaged collectors' item highlighting most of this gifted artists talents, but also showing a lighter side to her and the effort that goes into such a show.
4 / B
- PB

SAVAGE GARDEN - Superstars And Cannonballs:
Live On Tour In Australia
This lively show in their Australian hometown include 17 tracks incl. their three fine hit tracks To The Moon And Back, Truly Madly Deeply and I Want You, as well as Affirmation, I Knew I Loved You, The Best Thing, Two Beds And A Coffee Machine, Hold Me, The Lover After Me and The Animal Song. They have a cool lighting set-up by the people who did work for U2. There are costume changes. The documentary Parallel Lives takes a look at the two lads Darren & Daniel - one being the shy, quiet music guy, the other the show-off "Popstaa". Their two clashing personality types working well together. Some of the tracks get commentary as well as multi-angle tunes. You also get a not-too-vast discography, plus 3 bonus music videos. The bonus 12 track audio CD includes Affirmation, Crash And Burn, You Can Still Be Free - all 12 tracks appearing on the live show. They produce very good pop songs with a rock edge at times. The tackle serious and relevant subject matter as opposed to frivolous words to match the beat to get you dancing - Chained To You being the only blatant track treading that ground. Their Animal Song's line of "live like animals" sounds like "cannonballs" or "cannibals" - which they've also noticed! Love, emotion and pushing through the bad times are projected creatively and with talented musical prowess.
4 / C
- PB

SAVING GRACE
With Brenda Blethyn, Craig Ferguson, Martin Clunes, Tchecky Karyo,
Leslie Phillips
Directed by Nigel Cole
When the widow of a sleepy fishing town in England inherits her dead husband’s debt, she has to make serious plans in order to keep the debtors at bay. It culminates in a partnership with her gardener where they put her orchid breeding skills to use by growing marijuana in her greenhouse. This light comedy is hardly a Cheech & Chong fest, but has many lovely, simple human qualities and laughs which separates it from the blockbuster mayhem.
3 / C
- PB

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
With Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Mrs Ryan is one unlucky lady. Three of her sons get killed during WWII. The government decides to get a group of soldiers together to find her fourth son, somewhere in hostile territory, collect him and return him home. Hanks is the squad leader with this dangerous but noble task, leading a mixed bag of soldiers to do this job. The opening scene of this fine war film is one of the most hectic, disorienting and amazingly shot in a very long time. With the cinema sound in this scene being earblowingly fantastic, a home surround sound system will be the only way to do it justice in your lounge. Obviously on video it will also not be in widescreen, but don’t get me started on this. An amazing film with ground shaking scenes of war and real compassion for the characters.
5 / A
- PB

SAVIOR
With Dennis Quaid, Nastasja Kinski, Stellan Skarsgard
Directed by Peter Antonijevic
Hardcore, bitter war drama about a military man who loses his family in an Islamic bomb blast, resulting in him going off the rails blowing away a group of men at a mosque. He becomes a cold hearted mercenary and finds himself in Sarajevo sniping for the highest bidder. At a hostage trading area a woman gets returned, pregnant with an enemy child (the result of being raped). The local man with Quaid tries to kill her on the way home, inducing the pregnancy - Quaid kills him before he can kill her and delivers the baby. The two end up on the road - she wants nothing to do with the child and he doesn’t need the baggage, but slowly his emotions return and he starts looking after the baby. The three end up going through many trials in the hostile land, redemption at the end of the tunnel. A surprisingly moving and intense film that leaves one thinking.
4 / B
- PB

SAW
With Danny Glover, Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Ken Leung, Dina Meyer, Monica Potter
Directed by James Wan
Reports of this film as being a total gross out shocker is a bit of an overstatement. Along the mood of films like Fincher's Se7en, this brutal thriller has two men waking up, both handcuffed at opposite sides of a room, a body lying between them in a pool of blood. The methods and past innovative murders of the serial killer responsible gets exposed in gruesome detail to the viewer as our two helpless men get clues and instructions on how to go free (the clock ticking). Then there is the cop that let the killer get away. This is a cleverly written flick, with elaborate and creative deaths to go with its moody atmosphere and suspense built around impending doom. Sadistic, cold hearted and brutal in parts, if you've seen the ending to the first Mad Max, you'll know what inevitability involving a hacksaw will swing by at least one of the characters. And if you know your actors' names (lead and below the top billing), this may help you in figuring out who the killer is, due to his subtle presence and non-visibility at the same time.
PS. When I saw the names of Carey Elwes and Monica Potter (respectively starring in the related Kiss The Girls and Along Came A Spider), as a result I got Glover mixed up with Morgan Freeman (who portrayed the forensic psychologist in both those films), I thought it was interesting how they're all in one movie together. When I realized my ID stuff-up and the fact that the other two characters both died, I abandoned that silly train of thought, so just forget about reading this last bit of rambling.
4 / B
- PB

SAW II
With Donny Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, Glenn Plummer, Franky G, Emmanuaelle vaugier, Beverly Mitchell
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
The chances of a horror movie sequel matching (not to mention topping) its predecessor, is rare. In the case of Saw II the filmmakers managed to construct a very cool follow-up with some good twists. Our original distant terminally ill killer nicknamed Saw (because of the jigsaw clues cut from his victims) again punishes people who don't appreciate life. In a very bad state as his cancer eats away at him, Saw is trapped by a cop and S.W.A.T. team. But, the cop's son is captive in house somewhere with a group of other captives. A poisonous gas will snuff them out in a set period and they have to play by the rules, decipher clues and get to the bottom of their predicament. One of the captives is the only Saw survivor briefly in the first film (escaping the jaw-trap). This entire scene is played out on screens hooked up to the secret location. The cop has to play along to get his son back and save the others (who slowly start turning on each other). Gruesome and convoluted, this is great, grissly fun with a cool punch line.
4 / B
- PB

SAY IT ISN'T SO
With Heather Graham, Sally Field
Directed by J.B. Rogers
Publicized as being from the Farrelley Bros. (There’s Something About Mary and Me, Myself & Irene), they are in fact only part of the production credits. It does follow the line of their bad taste comedy filmmaking, but lacks that edge which usually separates their films from the likes of Adam Sandler. A young guy is looking for his birth family. He meets a girl and they plan to marry - only to find out his mother-in-law-to-be is his biological mom (thanks to an oily PI)! Thus the love of his life is his sister! His life is ruined and he falls apart - she moves back to her ex across the States - a wealthy tosser. Will he accept this? The stupid-ass jokes, slapstick and bad taste flows freely as this fun little comedy pokes at everything from strokes to amputees. No Comedy Hall Of Fame contender, but a time-passer for a 90 minute getaway - unless you offend easily.
3 / C
- PB

SCARED ALIVE
With Barry Dove, Rick Dean, Red McVay
Directed by Bill Naud
An early '80s yawnfest of a low budget horror attempt that doesn't even try to compensate for its lack of cash with well thought out plots or at least creative murders. The cast and crew for a low budget film head out to an island where they get picked off one by one to the tune of a song on a little tape player with their mode of death always in the lyrics - a lame Ramones-styled song. While the whole final punchline is actually not that bad, the poor acting, drudging pace and non-existent scares and not very special FX make it more laborious than entertaining. Some of the crap acting and bad lines are actually pretty amusing, but if you want to laugh, get Young Frankenstein. The tag-line of "it's worse than dying" can easily be applied to the watching experience, but at least these guys went out, shot and released their effort. If you are fascinated by cheap obscurities like Horror Farm, this may be your cup of bile.
PS. I picked this up in 2001 at a second hand store for R9 (the equivalent of around $1 !) - and it was a waste of money!
1 / C
- PB

SCARFACE
With Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeifer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia
Directed by Brian DePalma
With the help of Oliver Stones screenplay, Brian DePalma recreated the classic Scarface Chicago gangster tale of the '30s in an '80s Miami setting, making one of the best organized crime movies of that decade. Tony Montana is a Cuban refugee who enters America with big dreams. But for someone like him getting beyond washing dishes to the big time via legal channels is very slim. Together with a friend Tony rises up the gangster ranks, eventually usurping the top seat. In a haze of cocaine he becomes the king of the world, but is as susceptible to a hostile take-over like anyone. Running an empire with double crossing colleagues, over-protecting a sister who wants to do her own thing, a coked out girlfriend, coke smugglers who don't want to negotiate better wholesale prices and a business that can get you locked up forever, Tony takes the reigns and goes all out. With so many memorable scenes, this epic is one of DePalma and Pacino's coolest movies, clocking in at almost 3 hours.
6 / A
- PB

SCARY MOVIE 2
With Shawn & Marlon Wayans, Anna Faris, Regina Hall, James Woods, Tim Curry
Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans
As if the first one wasn't enough! With the enormous box office takings, what's the chance of the Wayans family not cashing in again? The Naked Gun-style movie rip-offs abound again (mostly Horror) flowing freely with the bad taste and crude factor still well in tact. Most of the characters from the first Scary Movie return to form with silly, crazy, dumb & nuts scenarios flowing into one another. Cheap laughs never made so much money!
2 / B
- PB

SCARY MOVIE 3
With Charlie Sheen, Anna Faris, Anthony Anderson, Simon Rex, Leslie Nielsen, Queen Latifah, Pamela Anderson
Directed by David Zucker
The Zuckers will never be likely to shy away from the movie spoof genre. This time round Scary Movie has taken on a life of its own while still dependent on other popular flicks. Here they take a stab at The Ring, Signs, even 8 Mile and The Matrix, blending them into a concoction of total stupidity and sometimes a laugh or two. Silly physical jokes, a touch of vulgarity, direct movie reference rip-offs, boobs and a whole lot of hamming up later at least makes you sit through the calamity, since you can't help but find it funny (provided of course you've seen the bits they rip off). There is a Michael Jackson bit in a scene stolen from The Others that is just plain freaky and funny in a very sick way. Slapmeister Leslie Nielsen pops in as the stupid president, Ja Rule his bodyguard. Sadly there are no Wyans present. With slapstick flicks like Flying High (aka Airplane), Top Secret, Hot Shots and now this, the Zucker brothers are a far cry from the Coen brothers, that's for damn sure!
2 / B
- PB

SCHOOL OF ROCK
With Jack Black, Joan Cusack
Directed by Richard Linklater
Richard Linklater (who gave us Slacker, Dazed & Confused, Before Sunrise & - Sunset) surprises everyone who thought he would come out with another talky flick Philosophy students and coffee shop arties would love. He teams up with comedic madman Jack Black, who plays a guitarist in a rock band that gets kicked out of his own group, replaced by a better looking poser. He's freaked out, especially since the battle of the bands is round the corner. Totally into his rock & roll lifestyle he's unemployed, sleeps late and mooches off his buddy, a school temp (his girlfriend getting on his case about it). In order to get money, he fakes being a school temp when he takes a call intended for his housemate. Impersonating his pal, with the intention of loafing through class, collecting the pay cheque, he discovers some of the kids in his class can play instruments. He springs into action to put a rock band together, maybe even playing at the battle of the bands competition. Sure, I also thought the kid element would be a sell-out drag, but they're quite good, playing well off the manic Black. The soundtrack contains some great rock tunes, old and new (some cool ones unfortunately not making it to the soundtrack album). I also didn't notice any Tenacious D (quite odd, being Jack's crazy two man band). If Adam Sandler was cast it would be an entirely different movie, for a start not as funny. Black takes it and rolls with it, wringing hilarity out of the simplest scenario. School Of Rock has the odd soppy moment, but as a whole it's quite a blast.
4 / B
- PB

SCREAM 2
With Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Directed by Wes Craven
The usual suspects return, proving that (usually, and in this, definitely) the sequel is usually the crappest installment - as Craven saw with the raping of his initial Freddy idea with the puke inducing bad follow-up. They rip this fact off in the movie while in fact they make themselves guilty of it. Puns like you'll Scream to make he rubbish stop can be flung in any ol' direction, but it boild down to - Dreadful.
1 / C
- PB

SCREAM 3
With Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Parker Posey, Patrick Dempsey, Lance Henricksen
Directed by Wes Craven
After the slasher-flick resurgence with the first Scream, buckets full of imitations of the imitation spilled forth. With its success (financially, of course), a sequel was inevitable. But this third installment should hopefully lay the whole thing to rest. More running, stabbing and screaming as this time round Sidney (Campbell) is lured out of her tranquil place of reclusive hiding, when a killer in the same garb kill people in body count sequence of the 3rd Stab film in production (based on the killings of the original Scream). Some laughs, cheap frights and many cop outs turn this into another piece of fluff - although Campbell & Cox are mighty fine.
2 / B
- PB

SCRUBBERS
With Chrissie Cotterill, Amanda York, Elizabeth Edmonds, Kate Ingram
Directed by Mai Zetterling
Reform school girls in the showers always seem like a titillating thought, but here we get to stare at the underbelly of hardcore, under-aged offenders. This might scare away people who are considering a career in social services, yet it also sheds light on the aspirations and feelings within these outcasts who are never given a chance. Directed by Mai Zetterling with Chrissie Cotterill and Amanda York.
4 / B
- PB

SEABISCUIT
With Jeff Bridges, Tobey Maguire, Chris Cooper
Directed by Gary Ross
Besides some Oscar® nominated credibility, it takes a lot for a movie about a racehorse to draw me to it. I eventually saw it and was pleasantly surprised by this uplifting tale of triumph. It's the depression era and four down on their luck lives converge. They are an automobile builder, a feisty young man who wants to be a jockey but isn't small enough, a cowboy whose roaming nature is fenced in by ranches and a horse he saves from being shot. Together they build a championship team winning almost every championship they enter. Based on a true story, the victory of the underdog plays out perfectly in this well-told tale with lovely cinematography and believable characterization. Fans of Black Beauty, The Black Stallion and National Velvet will be well pleased.
4 / C
- PB

THE SEA INSIDE
With Javier Bardem, Belén Rueda, Lola Duenas, Mabel Rivera
Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
This Spanish Best Foreign Oscar winner is an emotional ride with a quadriplegic, Ramon, who has been confined to his bed for 26 years after an accident diving into an ocean pool. He is fighting the authorities to allow euthanasia and keeps hitting dead ends. If he could do it himself, he would, but he also doesn't want to implicate his family and friends (many of them respecting his viewpoint, but don't want him to go through with it). He also befriends a young single mother. His brother, sister in law and their son look after him, and an agency fighting for his right to choose have become very close to him, making his decision even harder to swallow. A specialist lawyer is called in. She has a degenerative disease that will ultimately lead to her death, and the two of them connect. Ramon's only escape is to fantasize about flying to his favourite beach. But when reality strikes back, he is still helpless in his bed. The Sea Inside is a stirring drama based on a true story, dealing with both emotional and controversial issues. The fact that Oscar winners are often connected to some affliction or disability is again proven here. Bonus features include director's commentary, deleted scenes, photo gallery and a documentary - A Trip To The Sea Inside.
4 / C
- PB

SECOND SKIN
With Javier Bardem, Jordi Molla, Ariadna Gil, Cecilia Roth
Directed by Gerardo Vera
Touching Spanish film dealing with love and infidelity. An attractive wife and mother discovers her husband is having an affair… but unaware that it is with another man. He still loves her, but feels the same about his lover. The complex and painful situation meanders when he promises he’ll never speak with his lover again. But he cannot stay away. Most of the time the sympathy lies with the wife, her husband’s sometimes heartless idiocy leaving little room for empathy. Then there is the lover who is instrumental and no faceless sidekick. His feelings are also real and passionate. This intricate love story won’t be everyone’s cup of tea as it is no flowery, fluffy mainstream slice of cinema. The black & white Rorscach-style collage titles serve for a lovely opening, elements from the film incorporated, without giving away anything.
4 / C
- PB

THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF TOM THUMB
With Nick Upton, Deborah Collard, Frank Passingham, John Schofield
Directed by Dave Borthwick
A mindblower of an animated film, with a difference. What sets this apart from other animated movies is the fact that it's not cuddly and warm, but dark and tragic; but most of all it is the technique of traditional stop animation that expands into live action, actors animated together with the plasticine and latex characters. Bolex Brothers affiliate Dave Borthwick took the classic Tom Thumb fairytale and gave it a fantastic reworking, as our title character's diminutive stature does not prevent him from becoming a hero in a cruel, depressing world of downtrodden people and abused creatures. The revolutionary animation is sensational, the art- and creature design great. Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones wrote the Tom Thumb theme with The Startled Insects doing the rest of the eerie soundtrack. A powerful film that simply everyone has to behold.
6 / A
- PB

SEED OF CHUCKY
With Jennifer Tilly, Redman, John Waters, Hannah Spearritt, and the voices of Brad Dourif and Billy Boyd
Directed by Don Mancini
Franchise creator Don Mancini is taking the helm of this fifth instalment. The fact that the Child's Play movies have become a parody of itself is no surprise, only now it has gone all the way, with Tilly (who debuted as the voice of the Tiffany doll in Bride Of Chucky) playing herself and taking the piss all the way. Her career is on the fritz and she needs a big hit. Rapper Redman has turned director and is doing a Jesus epic, and she wants to play Mary. Chucky's kid (born at the end of Bride) has been used by a scummy ventriloquist and escapes from the UK to look for his parents. He accidentally resurrects the two dolls (used in a horror movie shoot). The hacking couple is back and soon their killer instincts flare up. Chucky wants the (crotch-less) plastic progeny to be a boy, following in his dad's murderous footsteps, while mom wants a girl who doesn't kill. The B-movie king Ed Wood's transvestite film Glen Or Glenda gets a homage with the battle between Chucky and Tiffany to call the kid either one or the other. The jokes are slapstick, the lines cheesy, the entire plot as hokey as it can get (as if a killing doll isn't enough already!). But, our new parents still want live human bodies and decide to get channeled into Redman and Tilly and be a new Hollywood power-couple to boot! But the kid also needs a body, so Chucky has to whack off in a cup to artificially inseminate the hamming Meg. This makes for an hilariously crude scene with cult director John Waters playing a tabloid photographer who snaps this action. Crazy, silly, occasionally funny and definitely entertaining, the film also features some cameos from actors like local-guy-cracking-it Jason Flemyng.
3 / B
- PB

SEINFELD Seasons 1 & 2
With Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards
Directed by Tom Cherones, Art Wolff
Standup comedians Larry David and Jerry Sienfeld created a sitcom that redefined the whole game. No-one anticipated it. The expectations for the '90s were high after the shortcomings of the Reagan-Thatcher-era '80s (which did however spawn some great music and movies, but bad fashion and TV). The characters of Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer in the New York City setting took the viewer into everyday settings, more often than not focused on relationships, the pursuit thereof and the hilarious results of the characters' hang-ups and general human fallibilities. But what made these shows so great was the fact that the writers really got great moments out of the most basic of day-to-day human activity, from laundry and jobs to phone messages. This DVD series is a brilliantly packaged 4-disc foldout box-set affair with all the remastered episodes plus a truckload of extra features. This batch contains the first five episode (plus the pilot) of the first season, as well as the second series' 13 episodes. It includes shows like The Stake-Out, The Robbery, The Ex-Girlfriend, The Pony Remark, The Jacket, The Apartment, The Chinese Restaurant and The Deal. The packed extras on all of the season releases include interviews with all the key players, commentary tracks, deleted scenes, notes, inside looks, bloopers, photo galleries and web links, plus additional stand-up bits from Jerry Seinfeld. This first release also contains a Making-Of Documentary. At first many viewers weren't prepared for the blend of clever writing, situation comedy, slapstick and human quirks, but soon couldn't wait to turn on their TVs to let their favourite bunch of nuts into their homes.
6 / A
- PB

SEINFELD Season 3
With Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards
Directed by Tom Cherones, David Steinberg, Joshua White
If you're unfamiliar with this TV series, you certainly missed out on a piece of the '90s and TV history. But, now's your chance to catch up and get turned on to this revolutionary comedy series which defied the format. Seinfeld pretty much played himself, also a stand-up comic in the show, bits of club based routine opening and closing each episode (plus bits in between), mostly relating to subjects cropping up in the show. George is the neurotic incompetent, Elaine the girl in the gang who's pretty much one of the guys and Kramer the mad neighbour (adding physical comedy to the smart verbal quips). The 22 shows of Season 3 include The Note, The Parking Garage, The Pez Dispenser, The Subway, The Keys and the two part Boyfriend episodes. Never before has personal hang-ups, quirks, menial daily activity and sitting around talking crap been so brilliantly utilized for comedic effect. The substantial load of extras on all of the season releases include interviews with all the key players, commentary tracks, deleted scenes, notes, inside looks, outtakes, photo galleries and web links, plus additional stand-up bits from Jerry. This 3rd season release also includes a piece on Kramer's origin. Some people were aghast at the million-dollar payday Jerry Seinfeld eventually received per episode, but with the global popularity of the show, why not? I have to add, I do love good packaging. These compact 4-disc releases slide in & fold out with images of our favourite New Yorkers Jerry, Elaine, Kramer and George all over the place. This is also my first encounter with a new space saving twin disc storing technique, which has two discs overlapping.
6 / A
- PB

SEPULTURA
With Sepultura
Three of the band’s videos from the Roots album are represented her, reason being they were never broadcast in their entirety on worldwide TV. Roots Bloody Root, Hatamatata and Attitude can be seen as intended, the band’s vision in tact. More so than other bands of the heavy metal genre, Sepultura have delved into their Brazilian culture, incorporating it in their music, and the same with these videos. The first with its traditions and percussion, the second (a great piece of stop-animation) focussing on Brazilian folk heroes and the last placing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ultimate world fighting champ Gracie ring center (literally). They’re all fine videos for fans and the mere interested alike. It also includes interview links relating to the ideas behind the videos, what it means to the band and how it came about. It might not be as long as some hardcore fans would’ve hoped, but it’s still a fine piece of Sepultura history you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
5 / A
- PB

SEPULTURA - Under Siege (Live in Barcelona)
With Sepultura
Directed by Steve Payne
This powerful live show by the Brazilian metal monsters in Barcelona seemed to come out of the blue and smack the scene upside the head (especially those unaware of the band). From poverty and years of struggle in Sao Paulo, their alternative attitude turned them to expressing their dissatisfaction with the dispensation in brutal, fast music. The show is energetic, furious and invigourating, the band playing as a tight unit intent on taking no prisoners. The in between interviews don’t really retract from the flow of the show, but in stead provide those unprepared for it just enough time to catch their breath. This was filmed as they started to make a worldwide impact and even though vocalist Max Cavalera moved on to form his new band Soulfly, it’s still a great video to watch (and hear), with some of their coolest songs from that period in their career.
5 / A
- PB

SERENDIPITY
With John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly Shannon, Jeremy Piven
Directed by Peter Chelsom
Cusack is no stranger to romantic comedies. Here he pairs up with Pearl Harbour lass Kate Beckinsale. The two meet in a department store where the first spark strikes. They chat all night and sit down at the Serendipity restaurant - a prophetic place where the coincidences are ignited. They are both involved and decide not to swap numbers. In stead she writes hers in the front of a book and promises to sell it to a second hand dealer. If he finds it, it's meant to be. Years later when they are to marry their respective partners, the two still can't get the other out of their minds. Clues and hints start to pile up, making it obvious that they have to try once more to find the other before they commit themselves to someone else for good. With the film's title getting full mileage, the near hits and misses can get frustrating, but takes some wonderful turns. From the outset it seems to be one of those passable romantic movies, but becomes a pleasant, warm film of love and destiny.
4 / C
- PB

SERIAL MOM
With Kathleen Turner, Ricki Lake, Sam Waterston, Matthew Lilliard, Scott Wesley Morgan, Mink Stole, Traci Lords
Directed by John Waters
Turner still has it as she relishes this wacky role only John Waters could’ve thought up. A lovely mother/housewife is actually a serial killer in a quiet suburb. All hell breaks loose as she starts knocking off more people than usual, her oblivious family getting entangled. Crazy and funny, the dark element not once touching on the serious - as it ought to be.
5 / A
- PB

SERIES 7: The Contenders
With Brooke Smith, Mark Woodbury, Michael Kaycheck, Marylouise Burke, Merritt Weaver, Richard Venture, Glenn Fitzgerald
Directed by Daniel Minahan
Taking the "reality TV" and Blair Witch angle one step further, these low budget film-makers manage to pull a believable and chilling portrayal of how far our voyeurism and fascination with reality shows could go. For those unaware of Man Bites Dog (a Belgian classic about a documentary film crew following a killer around on his various "jobs" - making the voyeuristic crew and viewers accomplices), Series 7 boils down to a similar principle. Only difference is, where Man Bites Dog is a "private" and perverse documentation of murder & mayhem, Series 7 takes it a step further by bringing the real killings into the homes of everyone with a TV set. Half a dozen contestants are randomly picked, each armed with a weapon and a cameraman. Eliminating the other contestants before they nail you is the main objective, the method entirely open for improvisation. The hunter-killer theme had been used quite of through literature and cinema. The Prize Of Peril was a book and film before Stephen King's Running Man echoed its televised runner chased by killers. Hard Target and Surviving The Game took the "hunting humans" angle in a blood thirsty private capacity as opposed to this "beamed into every home" approach of Series 7. The actors appear very natural and convincing as they portray the varied contenders from a pregnant woman (the reigning champ), a testicular cancer survivor, a teenage girl, an old man and an elderly nurse. The TV show links and commentator is great. The blatant social commentary is apparent and the cold blooded realism will shock and appall many viewers while its inherent humour is undeniably choice. Some will laugh because of its satirical lunacy while other will laugh because they're shocked. While walkouts are highly likely, I would urge viewers to sit through it for great story development and climax. (Brooke Smith, the excellent lead actress in this compelling film, portrayed the hostage of Silence Of The Lambs' serial killer).
5 / B
- PB

SERVING SARA
With Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley, Bruce Campbell, Cedric The Entertainer
Directed by Reginald Hudlin
Seeing the cover to this comedy makes me want to groan. But, this little film is not all that bad. Friends star Perry plays a court order server. He has to lay divorce papers on our pretty (but annoying) Liz, who is being dumped by her cheating rich Texan hubby (played by the cool Bruce Campbell). Time become a factor when whoever serves the papers first will have a head start in court. This means she can lose a huge settlement. Perry is also about to lose his job for not performing - his colleague out to thwart him. Long story short - he takes her side to nail the bastard husband and, guess what, slowly falls for her (now that was a surprise wasn't it?). Enjoyable, but forgettable.
3 / C
- PB

SESSION 9
With David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Brendan Sexton III, Josh Lucas, Stephen Gevedon
Directed by Brad Anderson
Ah, an interesting psychological scare flick for a change - no teenagers running around screaming. A team of guys get contracted to do an asbestos removal job at an old dilapidated and deserted mental hospital to be turned into a commercial facility. At a very steady pace things start to turn strange. Each of the team have their personal problems to deal with amid the rush to finish the job. The team foreman's marriage seems to be on the rocks, his partner trying to hold things together while another of the guys is having a thing with his ex-girlfriend. There's a young mullet idiot and an educated man who nips out to listen to tapes he found in a storeroom of a patient with multiple personalities. A very eerie atmosphere is created as things start to unravel, fall apart and become deadly scary. This is a great thriller with some frightening moments and well worth the 90 odd minutes.
5 / B
- PB

SET IT OFF (in Afrikaans)
met Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Blair Underwood
Regisseur: F. Gary Gray
Vier vriendinne in die South Central Los Angeles area besluit dat hulle onbevoorregte situasie onverdraaglik begin word tot die punt van desperasie. Hulle neem die gesamentlike besluit dat hulle enigste uitweg sal wees om bankrowers te word. Alles verloop glad totdat hulle versteekte fortuin verdwyn. Dan begin die poppe dans. Ek weet nie of ek die enigste een is wat so voel nie, maar die cliche van die South Central tragedie wat deur John Singleton se Boyz N' The Hood begin is, word nou 'n bietjie afgesaag. Die hip-hop kultuur wat baie Suid Afrikaners as hulle eie aanneem word ook na ons gegooi op elke tweede sitcom op die televisie. Daar is definitief 'n mark daarvoor, maar nes erotiese rillers word sekere temas 'n bietjie oordoen. Tussen die geweld en kru taal kan die prent wel 'n "boost" wees vir die vroulike geslag, deurdat die karakters opstaan, reageer en vuurwapens hanteer nes enige man kan.
2 / C
- PB

THE 70's SOUL JAM - Live From The Palace Theater
These days you get many young cocky singers trying to emulate the Soul power of the past legends. But there's nothing like the real thing. These performances by a variety of classic Soul artists from the 1970s ware recently recorded at the Palace Theatre in New Haven. There are the Stylistics, The Dramatics, The Chi-Lites, The Delfonics, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Major Harris, and Cuba Gooding Sr. (Oscar winning Jr.'s dad). They may be coming on in years, but they've still got it. A great nostalgia breeder.
5 / B
- PB

SEX PISTOLS - The Filth And The Fury
With Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Johnny Rotten, Glen Matlock
Directed by Julien Temple
Made about three decades after the swift rise and fall of the rule breaking Punk band the Sex Pistols, Great Rock 'N Roll Swindle director Julien Temple revisited the subject. Here he delved deeper into the tumultuous post WWII times of idealism, which was a social disaster (giving birth to widespread dissatisfaction), the band members' pasts and the band's inception, plus more personal details. As a reaction against conservative illusions and repression of anything going against the state controlled status quo, the Sex Pistols was an avenue for young people who had enough of the old guard oppressing them. With new Rotten, Cook, Jones and (original bassist) Matlock interviews, Temple get the firsthand opinions, memories and accounts from the guys who lived it - the joy and mostly bitterness and sadness it bred, due to more reasons than Malcolm McLaren being a prick. With some shots re-used from the Great Rock 'N Roll Swindle, it is hardly a mere rehash with some unseen band, news and BBC footage, or extended pieces (which includes Siouxie Sioux and Billy Idol). A fascinating and heartbreaking viewing, especially when Rotten breaks down about the loss of Sid Vicious. This is a perfect companion-piece to the Swindle movie. Includes a trailer and commentary track.
6 / B
- PB

SEX PISTOLS - THE GREAT ROCK 'N ROLL SWINDLE
With Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Malcolm McLaren
Directed by Julien Temple
Today kids think "Punk" is a bunch of fashionably styled baggy-denimmed, mushy-gelled hair lads playing up-tempo radio friendly sing-along rock tunes. They're obviously oblivious to the existence of socially charged groups like Exploited, Dead Kennedys, Discharge, G.G. Allin and of course, one of the original pioneers of the late '70s, the Sex Pistols - not to mention the social, political and economic motivations behind it all. This movie surpasses all the cheesy band movies that came before from The Beatles and The Monkees to Elvis and The Spice Girls. Here you get the telling of the band's rise and fall via an energetic mix-match of documentary and live footage, crazy animation, a fake PI thread and manager Malcolm McLaren's 10 point lesson in swindling the record companies out of as much cash from chaos as possible. Director Julian Temple undertook this triple headed mix of documentary, rockumentary and mockumentary across several years while still in film school, and ended up with one of the classic rock films of our time (regardless of McLaren's egotistical interference). Obviously the soundtrack is wall-to-wall Sex Pistols, from Anarchy In The UK, Holidays In The Sun and God Save The Queen to guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook's tunes with exiled great train robber Ronnie Biggs in Brazil, and Sid Vicious' deliciously twisted version of My Way and Eddie Cochran tunes. This highly entertaining romp takes you through the triumphs, tribulations, pain, chaos, sorrow and tragedy that gave these young misfits (and a generation who identified with their disenfranchised lot) something to believe in, but ultimately also their demise - in particular the ultimate price in the death of Sid Vicious and his nasty piece of work girlfriend Nancy. With language, nudity and profanity that'll shock many viewers, this remains one of the best rock movies ever, and a piece of history.
6 / A
- PB

SHALLOW GRAVE
With Ewan McGregor, Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, Ken Scott, Keith Allen
Directed by Danny Boyle
This admirable mid-90s debut effort by the team who went on to give us Trainspotting utilizes mystery, noir and suspense standards to great effect. A group of three housemates get an extra lodger, but find him mysteriously dead in his room - and with him an obscene stash of dosh. Utilizing great suspense & tension with innovative photography, greed and mistrust soon has the three friends turning on each other (on top of the fact that the money's owners are looking for it). This was also McGregor's kick-start to stardom.
4 / B
- PB
SHALLOW GRAVE
With Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox
Directed by Danny Boyle
Intriguing, tense low budget Scottish feature about a group of housemates who turn against one another when a new boarder is found dead in his room with a suitcase filled with cash. Inventively written and shot, the performances are equally good. One of the best thrillers to come from this part of the UK.
5 / A
- PP

SHALLOW HAL
With Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black, Jason Alexander
Directed by The Farelley Bros.
The Brothers F had brought us a wild array of comedic cinema, usually wading around the bad taste end of the pool. But, taste so bad and human, you cannot help but laugh at their exposing of the crude and funny sides of life most people would never talk about - opening the sluices to these potentially hilarious phenomena and making us laugh at ourselves via on-screen reflective personalities. But, be it Dumb & Dumber, King Pin, There's Something About Mary or Me, Myself & Irene, they don't hold themselves back when it comes to leaning on the sentimentality (and even romantic) taps. It usually involves an incompetent who might just get the girl. With Shallow Hal, Jack Black depicts a guy who, all his life merely looked at women from the outside. When he gets stuck in a lift with motivational guru Anthony Robbins, the guy whips him around mentally to see beyond the aesthetic exterior and see the internal beauty. That's when he falls for our Gwyneth, who is in fact one huge lady. But to Hal, she is a slim beauty and he cannot believe his luck that she doesn't have a boyfriend. Alexander (Seinfeld's George) does his thing as the buddy with some funny results. While some of the gags are predictable, this movie is more socially conscious than any of the previous Farelley outings. While making fun of overweight situations, they also turn the spotlight on how cruel the world can be towards people finding themselves to be more than just a couple of pounds over.
4 / B
- PB

SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE
with John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Udo Kier, Eddie Izzard
Directed by E. Elias Merhige
Vampire genres have ventured in almost every possible direction: Classic (Bela Lugosi's Dracula), Teen (The Lost Boys), Comedy (The Fearless Vampire Killers), Blaxploitation (Blackula), Epic (Bram Stoker's Dracula), Cheezy (Andy Warhol's Dracula), Realism (The Addiction), Stoopid (Dracula - Dead And Loving It), Stylish Action (Blade), Erotic Exploitation (The Bare Breasted Countess)… With limited access to one of the best (and most overlooked) vampire classics, few are aware of F.W. Murnau's amazing 1920's film, Nosferatu. Stoker's wife wouldn't surrender the rights for the eccentric German director to film her late husband's novel, Dracula. So, Murnau merely changed names and minor details. Shadow Of The Vampire is an incredibly rich film combining pseudo-fact, horror, comedy and art. We're taken on a film-maker's journey as the determined Murnau leads the participants through a nightmarish stint to commit this tale to celluloid. Where I am sure that many of the struggles in making this slice of genius might well have occurred (albeit sometimes presented in a more comedic fashion than would've been reality), one serious bit of fact gets altered which is the film's main premise and focus. This is the case of actor Max Schreck who played the vampire. Murnau told his cast and crew that he is a serious method actor who will only appear in full make-up and character. Slowly everyone starts to wonder about this weird "actor", if he IS in fact one and exactly how Murnau intends on remunerating him for his "performance", members of production getting freaked out and also dying. Shadow Of The Vampire defies a clean-cut genre definition like the above-mentioned films and aside from its great visualization and intelligent writing (Steven Katz), is part of its genius. If you hadn't seen the original Nosferatu, this film will still be a great experience, but those viewers familiar with the masterpiece (or even Werner Herzog's outstanding 70's remake with Klaus Kinski and Isabelle Adjani) will get so much more from it.
5 / A
- PB

SHAFT
With Samuel L. Jackson, Christian Bale, Vanessa Williams, Richard Roundtree
Directed by John Singleton
This is not a re-make. This particular Mr Shaft is the nephew of the real mean mutha (shut yo’ mouth) who dazzled audiences in the 70’s in the form of Richard Roundtree, the ex-cop turned PI who gets way in deep. As a black rolemodel, he still kicks ass. (Roundtree pops up a few times). Jackson is a brilliant choice here as the cop who quits after a race killer constantly gets off the hook. He tries to take him down any which way - the last resort being a witness on the lam. The action, the attitude and humour is all pretty top notch and even if you missed the original (which you’d better track down), this is still a great film on many levels.
5 / B
- PB

SHAKIRA - Live Off The Record
The bleached Colombian hip wiggler is quite a talented little girl (also playing guitar, drums and harmonica), even if her throaty yodel gets a bit annoying. Her live set is expertly executed, almost half in Spanish, the other in English. Being a rock fan, she hair-bangs to an AC/DC cover (Back In Black) and obviously finishes the set off with her hit Whenever, Wherever, other favourites including Si Te Vas, Underneath Your Clothes and The One. A great fan extra is the inclusion of a DVD containing her live show with 15 tracks as opposed to the CD's 10. Some of the extra songs include Rules, Ready For The Good Times, and Inevitable. Besides frivolous pop and love songs, she also has a political view of peace as on Octavo Dia (featuring a backdrop of Bush & Hussain playing chess, both controlled by the Grim Reaper), the band wearing politician masks. It also contains an in depth documentary and other extras.
4 / C
- PB

SHALL WE DANCE?
With Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Jennifer Lopez
Directed by Peter Chelsom
Like wedding movies, dance flicks always have a huge audience, the viewers not necessarily dance fans. This one is a remake. Gere plays a successful family man who feels that there's something missing in his life when his wife can't think of what to get him for his birthday. On his way home by train from work every evening he spots a young woman staring out of a window at a dance studio. This drives him to go there and together with a few other oddly matched guys they start taking ballroom dancing lesson. Obviously he checks the young instructor out and his wife doesn't know about these nightly dance lessons. Will he cheat? Will she find out? These questions become irrelevant as he finds a part of himself he didn't know existed. Initially I was reluctant to bother watching this, but it will be especially entertaining for middle-aged viewers. Extras include director's commentary, deleted scenes, beginner's ballroom and music videos.
PS. Interesting to see the resurrection of Casablanca Records that was created for the band Kiss in the '70s and also had some disco acts like Donna Summer - the soundtrack's on this label and contains a lame cover version of David Bowie's Let's Dance. The original would've been a better choice. By the way, this is an American remake of a Japanese film.
3 / C
- PB

SHANGHAI NOON
With Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu
Directed by Ted Bey
This time round master stuntman/choreographer/action superstar Chan hits the wild west…with a smaller budget than Wild Wild West, but far more punch (and kick!). The Chinese emperor’s daughter is kidnapped and taken to the US. She is held captive by a traitor of her country who now found his refuge in the new world, exploiting his own people who immigrated to build his railway lines. Chan is a subservient Imperial Guard who ends up travelling to the US to save her. Here he meets a fumbling but good hearted outlaw who teams up in his quest. Great action and fighting set-pieces with a bit of a story behind it after all. Chan’s Hong Kong popularity is getting more and more global each picture he makes. But the Hollywood glitz in his new pictures do tend to lack that classic, bare knuckles, mad and reckless raw beauty of his early HK films.
4 / B
- PB

SHAOLIN SOCCER
With Stephen Chow, Vicki Zhao, Ng Man Tat, Patrick Tse Yin
Directed by Stephen Chow
At first glance it seems as though the producers had a meeting deciding that market research shows soccer fans to be big kung-fu movie watchers; with the millions of soccer fans across the globe, this would logically result in a financially sound return. Shaolin Soccer in fact ends up being an ass- and ball kicking blast. Not being much of a sports fan, it had me in stitches and will even entertain soccer haters as we're led through an action-packed tale of an underdog soccer team assembled by a washed out coach (against his old rival with an illegally enhanced super team) in a big contest. The underdogs consist of Shaolin martial arts experts who use their skills in the sport - a motley bunch of brothers, held together by our hero (and director). It sounds ludicrous, but with crazy humour (and even a spontaneous musical number!), digital FX and intense energy they pull it off to make one hell of an enjoyable movie defying both laws of science and cinematic expectations.
5 / B
- PB

SHATTERED GLASS
With Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgard, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Zahn, Hank Azaria
Directed by Billy Ray
Fact often outstrips fiction when laid bare. This true story looks at the fall of a promising young writer (in his 20s) whose stint at the prestigious New Republic magazine took a serious nosedive when his fabrications started surfacing, snowballing into a serious disaster. Steven Glass's flights of fantasy initially used to soup up stories eventually became full-blown lies. Christensen (who played a young Darth Vader in the Attack Of The Clones chapter of Star Wars) could easily have had his career damaged by appearing in Lucas's film, but he managed to get out of the fantasy loop and tackled this serious role with conviction. The office dynamics, interpersonal relationships, sense of trust and professionalism around this, the only in-flight mag of Airforce One grabs hold of the viewer as we see this man careening into more and more shit as he lies to cover up lies. Writers from Forbes on-line wanted to do a follow-up on a hacker article (and even with his fake notes), Glass's house slowly came tumbling down as evidence (or the lack thereof) got excavated. A fascinating film, which also features a 60 Minutes TV interview with the real Glass as well as a commentary track by director Ray.
4 / B
- PB

The adventures of SHARKBOY & LAVAGIRL in 3D
With David Arquette, Cayden Boyd, Taylor Dooley, Kristin Davis, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
There are a few things I love about Rodriguez: besides his great cinematic instincts, all-round involvement, and wonderful utilization of High Definition video, he can make a violent adult themed film one year, and follow immediately with a light hearted kiddy flick. Here the creator of Spy Kids builds on the last installment of that trilogy by doing another 3D kids adventure. Max is a boy who lives himself into his dream world. In his dreams he created Sharkboy and Lavagirl, polar opposite superheroes that work together. Max notes all of these escapes in his dream journal, but there seems to be evidence that his two dream friends cross over into the real world. After the class bully steals his journal, a raging storm has Sharkboy and Lavagirl enter his classroom to take him to planet Drool, where all his dreams reside. It is being taken over by darkness and they have to save it. With ample digital assistance the fun ride takes the viewer through an amazing dream world of weirdness and peril, the evil one and his electric henchman trying to catch our three heroes. The 3D effect works well and takes up the bulk of the movie, adding to the high-energy fun, family values and moral lessons. If this isn't for you, and you're looking for something with a bit more kick, then rather try Rodriguez & Frank Miller's Sin City.
PS. The 3D specs manufacturers should look into smoothing out the sharp edge of the nose bridge area.
4 / B
- PB

SHERYL CROW - C'Mon America 2003
For several years Crow has craved her own niche by giving her fans folk / country flavoured acoustic rock with a pop appeal. Sheryl is quite sexy in this no-frills show (albeit big screens behind her & the all-male band). The 21 songs include Steve McQueen, Riverwide, My Favourite Mistake, C'Mon C'Mon, The First Cut Is The Deepest, Strong Enough, If It Makes You Happy, A Change Would Do You Good, Leaving Las Vegas, All I Wanna Do, Soak Up The Sun, Safe And Sound and closes with an impressive cover of Led Zeppelin's Rock And Roll (in a pair of leather pants, bare footed on top of the grand piano - hmmm). The disc contains no extras, just a little interlude with footage from the stage set-up & behind the scenes with a bit of Sheryl voice over. Playing guitar, bass & piano, this multi-talented lady has come a long way from being a Michael Jackson back-up singer(!).
4 / A
- PB

SHERYL CROW - The Very Best Of
The cool, swaggering style of Sheryl Crow can be found here in al its glory on a Best Of CD, a live CD and a DVD video collection. The two CDs clock in 30 tracks. The Very Best Of disc includes All I Wanna Do, Soak Up The Sun, My Favourite Mistake, The First Cut Is The Deepest, Everyday Is A Winding Road, Leaving Las Vegas, Strong Enough, If It Makes You Happy, Picture (Kid Rock feat. Sheryl Crow), C'Mon C'Mon (feat. The Corrs), A Change Would Do You Good. The Live In Central Park CD includes many of the abovementioned hits, plus My Favourite Mistake, Gold Dust Woman, It Don't Hurt, White Room and Tombstone Blues. The Very Best Of DVD assembles 14 clips - pretty much in the same order as the CD version, but also include Steve McQueen and Anything But Now. Perfect for a Crow fan.
5 / B
- PB

SHE’S SO LOVELY
With Sean Penn, Robin Wright, John Travolta
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Intriguing and often strange & heartbreaking tale of an unconventional couple. After a traumatic experience Penn ends up in an institution, going off the rails. After years he returns, the love of his life married with children. Intense human drama with gritty edges, originally written for the screen by classic indie film director John Cassavetes, here directed with finesse by his son.
4 / B
- PB

SHINE (in Afrikaans)
Met Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Regisseur: Scott Hicks
Hierdie lieflike storie van 'n jong, talentvolle pianis se persoonlike reis, is vir 7 Oscar toekennings genomineer. Geoffrey Rush se hartstogtelike, sensitiewe en maniese vertolking het hom die beste akteur toekenning laat losslaan. Met 'n domineerende, harde, streng pa, wat hom tot sy uiterste vermoe dryf, maar aan die ander kant hom verhoed om die huis te verlaat om studie-beurse in ander lande te benut, werp sy lewe taamlik omver. Dit lei tot 'n punt waar hy sy greep op realiteit begin verloor. Hierdie hoe aangeskrewe rolprent sal net tot sy volle potensiaal strek as die gehoor se stemming vir so 'n verhaal ingestel is.
4 / C
- PB

SHIPPING NEWS
With Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett
Directed by Lasse Halström
When you throw emotionally inflicted characters together in a freezing environment (often blatantly used as metaphor), you usually get a tough, trying cinematic journey. This is indeed one of them, but does have a sliver of sunlight behind the dark clouds. Spacey is a quiet, insecure man who inadvertently gets involved with a loose slag. They have a kid and she dumps him (after numerous screw-arounds). On running away, she dies in a car crash and the guy has to raise the kid. He moves to the cold harbour village of his ancestry and finds a job at the small newspaper where his new life unfolds together with flashbacks of the area's past. He meets a woman and things don't seem as bleak. A touch taxing at times, but a wonderfully moving film nonetheless. (Great introductory sequence of Spacey morphing into different scenes).
4 / B
- PB

SHIVERS
With Paul Hampton, Lynn Lowry, Alan Migicovsky, Susan Petrie, Barbara Steele
Directed by David Cronenberg
The tenants of an isolated modern apartment block become victims of a spreading disease turning them into sex zombies. This transfer occurs when Twinkie sized parasites are passed on. A doctor in the building developed this as a substitute for failing organs, but it all goes horribly wrong as these parasites invoke an extreme sense of uninhibited lust. Shows how much can be done with great story and innovative utilization of low cost gore FX. Another fabulous medically fuelled Cronenberg classic.
6 / A
- PP
…the 2nd opinion…
SHIVERS aka THEY CAME FROM WITHIN
With Paul Hampton, Joe Silver, Lynn Lowry, Barbara Steele
Directed by David Cronenberg
Shivers is Canadian director Cronenberg's commercial debut that set the scene for his ongoing theme of biological horror. Backed by Ivan Reitman (in pre-comedic success mode), the film concentrates on an up-market self-efficient apartment community. Within these walls, a researcher's experimental parasitic leech-like creatures are infesting the tenants, turning them into sexually depraved semi-zombies with venereal disease parallels. With two hot actresses and some visceral FX, Cronenberg created an amazing shocker still enjoyable today, even with its budgetary shortcomings.
5 / A
- PB

SHOWER
With Zhu Xu, Pu Cun Xing, Jiang Wu, He Zheng
Directed by Zhang Yang
Intimate film about a successful businessman who returns to his hometown where his father and retarded brother still runs a public bath house. Touching and well made.
4 / C
- PB

SHREK
With the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Directed by Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jensen
Dreamworks is becoming one hell of a competitor for Disney. This digitally animated feature bursts at the seams with visual detail, action, great laughs and jaw-dropping realistic animation design that simply has to be seen. Shrek is an Ogre who simply wants to live his quiet life in his slimey swamp, going about his daily Ogre business. When a vertically challenged megalomaniac banishes all of the classic fairytale characters (from Pinocchio to the 3 little pigs) to his swamp, Shrek goes to the castle to sort it out. But, together with his new tag-along friend (a talking donkey) he gets roped into saving a princess from a tower guarded by a dragon. Our mini-dictator-wannabe needs to marry a princess in order to be king, but it goes without saying that Shrek may fall for her during this amazing quest. Shrek contains so many stellar moments which includes the gross & funny introductory sequence, loopy action, silly & cool humour (including slapstick), a WWF simulated battle sequence, wild adventure and yes, romance. Myers is splendid as the voice of our unlikely "regular" Ogre with his best Scottish accent. Murphy shines as the yapping, silly donkey while Diaz does her part as the princess. All the best known fairytale characters and concepts get woven into the witty storyline & backdrop in a very clever and humourous way. But the meticulous detail - man it's good. One of the most amazing modern animated films to date. Like most DVDs have extras, the VHS release has extra footage added at the end. A special DVD release includes an extra 3D adventure with glasses included. Other extras include commentary tracks, featurettes and documentaries, interactive games and technical info.
6 / A
- PB

SHREK 2
Voiced by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Julie Andrews, Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Saunders
Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
The first Shrek was a worldwide hit enjoyed by the whole family. Besides the great digital animation, the character voices played a great part in making this twisted fairytale world believable. Well, they're all back. Shrek, princess Fiona and donkey. The happy new couple has to travel to the land of Far Far Away to visit Fiona's parents (who obviously do not approve - of Shrek the ogre or Fiona's matching cursed green complexion). The fairy godmother's poncy son was meant to marry Fiona and she gets to work to wreck the relationship so her boy can step in. New characters like the Puss in Boots liven it up further. With some hilarious moments, some adult slants that'll go over most kids' heads and a great imagination incorporating well know fairytale elements, I won't say this is better than the original, but certainly a great companion. DVD extras include commentary, sing-alongs, music videos, Far Far Away Idol and more.
5 / B
- PB

SIGNS
With Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Patricia Kalember, Cherry Jones
Directed by M. Knight Shyamalan
What an amazing addition to the Shyamalan trilogy (which will make an amazing DVD box-set). No, Unbreakable wasn't a carbon copy of The Sixth Sense, and neither is Signs. What this talented young director brings to the table is innovative, intense filmmaking which relies greatly on the viewer's imagination to flesh out the intrigue. Signs ventures into visiting intelligent alien life. Like his other films it is best to keep the details to a minimum to avoid spoiling it. By slowly pulling us into the film's characters and situation, Shyamalan succeeds in making us a part of the experience (my girlfriend was shitting herself, even when visual information was withheld). Even macho man Gibson can't spoil this crafty piece of work. He plays an ex-preacher who lost his wife and lives on a farm with his two kids and brother. One morning enormous crop circles appear in his cornfield. The phenomenon is all over the planet and seems far too huge and widespread to be a hoax. From here the tension and brooding exposition of the excellent filmmaking gift takes a hold and sweeps you up with the interplay of clues, horror, tension, humour, drama and suspense, refusing to let go of your attention as you're nailed to the screen (or your hands over your eyes like my girlfriend's case! - Having had something of a close encounter before, this was especially freaky for her). Individual incidents (be it gravely significant or seemingly small) all roll into one another to build up into one big consequential exposition. This is neither Independence Day nor Mars Attacks, this is an angle you've rarely experienced and I urge you all to get out there and see it before your friends blurt everything. Phoenix and the kids are great while the director also features in an extensive cameo. What makes Shyamalan a good director is the fact that he is a great cinematic writer.
6 / B
- PB

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
With Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn
Directed by Jonathan Demme
At the time of its release, this second film based on a Thomas Harris book set the trend for countless flawed imitations in the serial killer genre. (The first film having been Manhunter, directed by Michael Mann, based on Harris's Red Dragon). In the multi-Oscar winning Silence Of The Lambs, Jodie Foster portrays Agent Starling, a new recruit used to milk info from a convicted psychiatrist turned cannibal killer, Dr Hannibal Lecter, to track down a once patient of his turned serial killer. What ensues is an intense relationship, bordering on a dark romance (further elaborated in the follow-up, Hannibal). The tense scenes of the two conversing are altered by moments of graphic realism as the killer drives towards his objective, slowly moving the film forward to a double climax unravelled by Starling and brilliantly constructed by the crafty Lecter. The film also displays a dark sense of humour while the easily spooked & squeamish won't notice that. A decade later the film still has great impact, Hopkins still marvelous and the atmosphere still as ominous. While Foster is a fine actress, it just seems that the Oscar may have been handed over a little too hastily, her performance sometimes too staged (her Taxi Driver role for one outstripping her here). The ensemble brilliance of the writing, direction & Hopkins' performance, as well as the new introduction of a brutal yet intelligent villain into the mainstream world of likely horror, her flaws may have been overlooked. But, regardless, after a decade passed, the film is still chilling, gruesome and wonderfully entertaining.
This special 10th Anniversary Edition contains a number of fine features including great looking animated menus, outtakes and documentaries. A commentary track by the elusive Demme would've been splendid, though.
5 / A
- PB

S1MONE
With Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Winona Ryder, Elias Koteas
Directed by Andrew Niccol
Pacino plays a Hollywood director disillusioned by the whole system, overpaid and overrated actors and money becoming more important than the art of the craft. His star walks out on the film he's working on and the project (which is close to his heart) gets canned. On cue he's approached by a freaky scientist who has been working on a digital creation he calls Simone (an abbreviation for Simulation One). Refusing to go along with his madcap banter (including a mention of a tumour in his eye that will cost him his life), a computer hard drive arrives in the mail several months later. The man died and left the director his life's work - A beautiful virtual actress that doesn't talk back, demand millions and act like a temperamental brat - doing exactly what is required. His cancelled project gets completed with Simone inserted into the already shot scenes. She becomes an instant sensation. The rise of this virtual star (unbeknownst to the entire world) slowly starts to consume the industry and escalate beyond the director's control. At times the whole thing goes a little far to the point of becoming farcical. In between hoping he can patch things up with his estranged producer wife, he tries to manage the monster he's created by keeping Simone an elusive, reclusive mystery - but people are starting to fish, wanting a piece of this bright new star. Some of the technical elements are a little over-simplified and some scenes get a bit slapstick. It does get thought provoking and funny at times, yet dumb and overstepping the margin at another. The film's commentary still shines through amoung the downer moments, making it a fine addition to the range of filmmaking movies like The Player, Swimming With Sharks and Living In Oblivion.
3 / C
- PB

SIMPLE MINDS - Seen The Lights: Live In Verona
Simple Minds never really had the boyish sex appeal of other bands from their '80s genesis - in stead they offer good musicianship and a political conscience. Directed by Andy Morahan, this DVD was compiled from shows recorded on 14 & 15 Sept 1989. The show opens with the '90 Remix of Theme For Great Cities and rock through songs like Street Fighting Years, Mandela Day, Waterfront, This Is Your Land, Belfast Child, Alive And Kicking, Sanctify Yourself, and their hit that propelled them into stardom via the Breakfast Club movie, Don't You (Forget About Me). Black & White film footage of the crowd and city is mixed with colour, Verona life interspersed as well as comments. An extra show is thrown in - shot at the Newcastle City Hall in 1982 (Broadcast in 1983), the 16mm film giving it a documentary look in stead of glossy glam new wave, even when the lads are young and rosy cheeked with New-Romantic / Mod haircuts & posturing. Tracks like Glittering Prize, Someone, Somewhere (In Summertime), The American, Big Sleep, and New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) are included. Another early hit, Promised You A Miracle is not in there. Their '80s synth-pop with a conscientious slant is more mature than most bands of their era. You can also access the CD-Rom segment with wallpaper, screensavers, a web-link and discography.
4 / B
- PB

A SIMPLE PLAN
With Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda, Gary Cole
Directed by Sam Raimi
When two brothers find a plane in the snow covered wooded area in their dead-end town, all kinds of dormant human evils crop up; greed being only one of them, and possibly the deciding factor for all their fates. With a very “Fargo” feel to it, the desolate white landscape instills a sense of isolation and a false sense of purity. Raimi’s crossover to “normal” films after his great Evil Dead movies has been a good one. His handling of actor and environment is handled masterfully, while he brings the best of Paxton and Thornton. The money is believed to be illegal, so no one will claim it - or so they thought. Filled with suspense, intrigue and eventually murder, the simple plan turns out to be far more complicated than they’d ever expected.
5 / C
- PB

SIN CITY
With Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen, Elijah Wood, Michael Madsen, Brittany Murphy, Josh Hartnett
Directed by Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller, with Quentin Tarantino
What an incredible cinematic experience - ass-fuckin'-kickin'! Innovative filmmaker Rodriguez (who gave us classics like El Mariachi and From Dusk Till Dawn) took Frank Miller's moody Sin City noir graphic novel tales and weaved it into the best-utilized High Definition video shot picture ever (besides Sky Captain). The black & white noir tone of the stories (with its cops and hoods, working folk, lowlifes and comic book villains), are brilliantly translated with the occasional splashes of colour (mainly red), and top use of shadows. The dark tales meander and meet up throughout, keeping you nailed to your seat through many incredible set pieces, action sequences and moody atmospheric moments with the little flickering flame of good, righteousness and justice scraping at the edge of Basin City's brutal darkness where even the good guys have a mean streak. Never a sliver of daylight, the pictures are perfect, the characters and the actors portraying them splendid, the style lavish and visually striking, and the predominantly digital surroundings working perfectly for a change as it replicates the two dimensional look of the black & white pages from which they're brought to life. Sin City is sheer cinematic class and easily one of the coolest films of the year, even though many viewers will find some scenes savagely intense. In stead of "special guest stars", the film features Quentin Tarantino as special guest director. Conventional this surely 'aint!
6 / A
- PB

THE SIN EATER
With Heath Ledger, Shannon Sossamon, Peter Weller
Directed by n/a
For some reason I had this one mixed up with the Exorcist prequel. Anyhow it also deals with priests and a battle with faith and evil. Ledger plays Father Alex Bernier, one of the last members of an ancient Christian Order. His mentor is mysteriously murdered and he heads for Rome to investigate. Sossamon is the woman he loves but cannot consummate. Weller is the next in line to be Pope and puts Bernier and his colleague on the trail of the "sin eater", an ancient man who imbibes the sins of those who had been excommunicated by the church before they die. Throw in a dark sect, a plot of domination and more coinciding (seemingly ritual) deaths, and you have another flick to add to the occasional religiously based thriller that swings by every year or so. In this particular addition the characters are bland and blasé, even after violence, death and supernatural happenings - as if it's an everyday occurrence. This makes the whole deal that much harder to swallow, slotting it in more with the likes of The Prophecy sequels than The Omen or Exorcist.
3 / C
- PB

THE SIXTH SENSE
With Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Tony Collette, Olivia Williams
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Willis gets serious as a psychologist who tries to help a young boy with what seems to be illusions of grandeur. He believes he sees dead people and they’re tormenting him. In true psychologist fashion, Willis tries to relay it to the boy’s grieving of his father having left the family. With an intriguing story line, spine chilling scary scenes and an amazing twist, Sixth Sense is a surprise hit that needn’t ride on any hype. Great entertainment with a couple of Oscar nominations.
5 / B
- PB

SKELETON KEY
With Kate Hudson, Gena Rowland, John Hurt
Directed by Iain Softley
Black magic gets a bit of a resurrection in this moody flick set in a creepy old house (almost always a winning location!). On top of this the eerie, swampy New Orleans backwoods is the geographical setting. A young hospice worker takes a job in the said house and area where an elderly man seemed to have suffered a stroke whilst in the attic. His staunch wife is a bit apprehensive to employ her, but does. Almost immediately the strange energy of the house starts making itself known. The old man seems to want to communicate something to the girl, but can't, so she starts to investigate, until dark secrets start to unfold as she finds a hidden door in the attic… It's good to see Hudson in a role other than a romantic comedy. The coolest part of this film is the uncompromised ending and "oh, okay!" revelation as you backtrack events.
4 / C
- PB

SKOUSPEL 2004
Huis Genoot, one of South Africa's biggest Afrikaans weekly rags, has been around for decades, dealing with everything from gossip to real life drama and entertainment. Sponsored by the magazine, this Skouspel show packs in a bunch of commercially viable local acts with varied success. From the bonehead popular "crooners" like Kurt Darren and Theuns Jordaan, to guys with more substance like the operatic Jannie Moolman and Coenie DeVilliers, blonde bimbos like Patricia Lewis to cabaret favourite Elsabe Zietsman and old school lady Rina Hugo. Besides Jordaan and Lewis, other big embarrassments include Pieter Smith and Juanita DuPlessis. Dozi and Steve Hofmeyr cannot be excluded, and DNA Strings hightens the standard somewhat, while the most alternative of the bunch constitutes Valiant Swart and Gian Groen. Jennifer Jones, the Afrika Mamas and the Anglo Gold Choir add some colour to proceedings. From originals to traditional covers, the show had its crowd quite excited, but is definitely an acquired taste.
2 / C
- PB

THE SKULLS
With Joshua Jackson, Hill Harper, Leslie Bibb, Paul Walker, Christopher MacDonald, William L. Petersen, Craig T. Nelson
Directed by Rob Cohen
Pudding faced Dawson’s Crack (sorry, Creek) star portrays a student who gets elected as a member of one of the most powerful secret societies on an American campus. This Freemason style group looks after its own, but with some sacrifices necessary. When our hero’s best buddy dies and the Skulls seem to be behind it, he gets disillusioned and try to get to the truth. An okay effort, but a little too formulaic and teen to be truly great.
3 / C
- PB

THE SKULLS II
With Robin Dunne, Nathan West, Ashley Lyn Cafagna, Lindy Booth
Directed by Joe Chappelle
The first one left a lot to be desired. And they actually put the money up for this smelly sequel? It's kind of like Carrie and American Psycho getting its rip-off sequel for a quick cash in - not exactly related, merely picking up a thread as basis to plod along with its story. No, actually, merely using the name in the hope of scamming fans of the first one. I can imagine American Psycho having fans, but I'm not sure about the first Skulls. Here, the secret Skulls society on an American campus still exists after the first film's "tragic" consequences. One of its new initiated brothers witness what looks like a murder and in trying to find out if it really was, he gets strong and dangerous opposition from the fellowship who like to keep their actions private and its members safe. A boring, dumb, waste of time.
1 / C
- PB

SKY CAPTAIN & THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
With Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Giovanni Ribisi, Angelina Jolie
Directed by n/a
Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow join up again (since The Talented Mr. Ripley) in this imaginative adventure. In a blending range of eras, genres and moods, from noir thrillers to WWII pilot hero- and 50's