ABBA In Concert
The unisex Abba quartet was one of the biggest pop groups ever to come from Sweden in the '70s and still has a huge impact with the songs they gave the world. They weren't too hot on intensive touring, even though the world was dying to see them perform. This concert film was made after Abba The Movie, for Swedish TV. It coincided with their anticipated first time ever tour of America. The show was recorded at in the Uk's Wembley stadium (where they sold out 6 nights in a row). With more focus on the live show, there is however some behind the scenes footage in America and backstage. Some of their evergreen hits include Waterloo, Take A Chance On Me, Voulez-Vous, Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight), Knowing Me Knowing You and Dancing Queen. The outfits and general style may be dated, but it's a fun '70s flashback, the songs still good. Bonus features include extra songs and interviews with their promoter and the film director. You can also take a look at the tour programme images and a trailer of the hit stage show Mama Mia!
4 / B
- PB

ABBA - The Definitive Collection
The 70's Swedish pop sensation is far from dead as fans keep the flame burning. Comparatively their songs are genius when held up aganst the crap instant radi pop you hear today. Here you get a fat Abba package which includes 2 CDs and a DVD. The DVD packs in around 30 songs. Most of them are more than familiar, like Waterloo, Ring Ring, Mama Mia, SOS, I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do, Fernando, Dancing Queen, Money Money Money, Knowing Me Knowing You, The Name Of The Game, Take A Chance On Me, Thank You For The Music, Summer Night City, Bang-A-Boomerang, Eagle, That's Me, One Man One Woman, Chiquitita, Does Your Mother Know, Voulez-Vous, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, On And On And On, The Winner Takes It All, Super Trouper, Happy New Year, When All Is Said & Done, One Of Us, Head Over Heels, The Day Before You Came, and Under Attack. You also get five bonus clips - When I Kissed The Teacher, Estoy Sonando (I Have A Dream), Filicidad (Happy New Year), No Hay A Quien Culpar (When All Is Said And Done), Dancing Queen (at the Royal Swedish Opera). The visuals (including fashion and make-up) are way dated, but the songs are still good (though some are stil as cheesy as ever).
The CDs include 37 of their best-known songs from 1972 - 1982. Most of the tracks from the DVD can be heard on here, plus People Need Love, and He Is Your Brother, a 1974 single remix of Ring Ring, and a 1979 extended US promo remix of Voulez-Vous.
4 / B
- PB

ABBA - The Winner Takes It All
After so many years of them breaking up (in more ways than one), this Swedish couple group was one of the world's most successful Pop phenomena with some incredibly catchy and global chart topping songs and albums. From a Eurovision song contest winner to a household name (even today), the co-ed quartet made a great impact on popular music as we know, its imprint still reverberating through the music industry - not only in people doing cover, but also in sectors like the gay community with drag acts, as well as youngsters rediscovering it. It even recently became the impetus behind a Westend musical Mama Mia! using ABBA songs to tell its story. This enlightening documentary on one of the world's most successful pop groups ever covers the triumphs, accomplishments, pains and disappointments that started 25 years ago, laying it bare with footage from across their career, interviews and reflections on how it all came to be and how it all crashed down. Mama Mia, Dancing Queen, Waterloo, Super Trouper, The Name Of The Game, S.O.S., Thank You For The Music - it's all here. The DVD version of this TV documentary contains an additional 30 minutes.
5 / B
- PB

Classic ABC
These Universal Classic DVD releases limit the artists to 10 tracks - in many cases they had more memorable tunes than that, while others might have had less, the bulk filled up with more mediocre work they've done. I won't be declaring which of them needed more or les inclusions. But, if you were born in the '70s you'll more than likely know most of ABC's 10 tunes from the 80's, especially Poison Arrow, S.O.S., That Was Then But This Is Now, The Night You Murdered Love, When Smokey Sings and of course The Look Of Love Part 1 (whatever happened to the rest of it?). There's also All Of My Heart, Be Near Me, Vanity Kills, and How To Be A Millionaire.
4 / B
- PB

ABOUT A BOY
With Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult
Directed by Paul Weitz & Chris Weitz
Hailed as one of the best British movies of 2002, it was in fact directed by the Yank brother duo of Paul and Chris Weitz who brought us American Pie (!). This is hardly in that league. Based on Nick Hornby's book they take great care in bringing these diverse characters to life. Will is a rich modern playboy who doesn't work for a penny he spends - he earns a living off a Christmas song his dad wrote. When his path crosses with Marcus, a different 12-year old boy with a depressed mother, his life starts to take turns he never expected - each learning from the other. It is a lovely film with equal measures serious and humourous situations and by far one of the more tolerable roles of late for Grant. The film features a soundtrack specially written and performed by Badly Drawn Boy. The bonus material includes feature length commentary by the directors; deleted scenes with commentary; the Making Of; Badly Drawn Boy interview and music video; plus DVD-Rom features.
Interesting bits you may not have known - in 1988 Hugh Grant played in the weird Ken Russell film Lair Of The White Worm written by Bram Stoker. Co-director Chris Weitz starred in Migual Arteta's awkward low budget sexual identity struggle film, Chuck & Buck.
5 / B
- PB

ABOUT SCHMIDT
With Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, June Squibb, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates
Directed by Alexander Payne
This incredible film (which earned Jack yet another Oscar nomination - lost to Adrien Brody for Polanski's Pianist), takes a well-deserved, subtle, humourous and sad look at pensioners angst, (as opposed to the over-exposed, over-inflated teen one). Jack is Schmidt, one of the recently retired trying to find a point to his new life situation. He feels detached from everything - his wife, the huge Winibago in the driveway, the shape of his own body. His daughter is getting married to a guy he does not approve of. A TV spot advertising the opportunity to sponsor a needy third world child has him do so, grabbing the encouragement to include a letter to your new foster child (in his case, Ndugu) with open arms - resulting in a very innovative, enlightening and funny narrative voice-over device where he can vent his feelings. His set ways and prejudiced view gets all shook up. The performances are great all round, but Jack obviously steals the show - not his normal wicked self, but a regular, straight & narrow working stiff. A tragedy sends him off to find himself and trying to control his new circumstances. One hell of a fine film combining dry humour with a bittersweet lining. [It must be said, Bates pulls a brave, scary and hilarious feat in one go, you have to see to believe]
5 / B
- PB

THE ABYSS
With Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Chris Elliott
Directed by James Cameron
James Cameron loves the unknown and here he decided to dive into its essence, not by heading into outer space, but instead, a far more mysterious and closely located area - our oceans. The discovery of underwater "aliens" was an amazing turn from the norm. Though sentiment and soppiness slips in, it's not too drastic. Here the pre-Terminator 2 FX stunned audiences for the first time and changed moviemaking as we know it with the serious help digital technology gave filmmakers (but without all the computers, the Alien movies, Bladerunner and Star Wars trilogy used old fashioned techniques to maximum effect). Some great underwater sequences and a fantasy-filled alien "Atlantis" is quite fascinating; but if you manage to get this one in the director's cut, stay away! It has such a ludicrous plot development climax that it could easily shatter the whole movie's beauty and mystery. This must be the only time I thought that a studio's decision to override the director's was a good one. The original, however is a wonderful visual experience, although (as almost per usual) some people found the ending corny - hey, can't please everybody.
4 / A
- PB

ADAPTATION
With Nicolas cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper
Directed by Spike Jonze
The writer/director team of Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze team up again with an off-centre look at Hollywood. With Adaptation they tackle it from the writer's point of view, Kaufman working himself into the script, of him working himself into a script. With the amazingly alternative narrative of their previous effort Being John Malkovich, would you expect anything less? Kaufman is a totally inadequate social being, constantly questioning his position in the world, his looks and personality. When he gets the job to adapt a screenplay from a novel about a journalist (Streep) who meets a man (best support Oscar winner Chris Cooper) passionate about orchids and other exotic plants, he feels a sense of salvation looming - the chance to write something without car chases, sex & violence. This seemingly simple task becomes an uphill battle as he struggles to capture the essence in screenplay form. His twin brother, the less intense one, decides he also wants to become a screenwriter, his ideas and concepts overtly mainstream and frivolous. Cage pulls the dual Kaufman bros. role off marvelously. As Charlie, his neuroticism, self-loathing and claustrophobia can seem a bit debilitating for mainstream audiences. A nice touch is the inclusion of some on-set scenes of the shooting of Being John Malkovich, the lead players all reprising their roles. Adaptation becomes an intriguingly entertaining film with many mixed weaves & curves that is far more than but basic cinematic take-out fare.
4 / C
- PB

ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN GROUCHLAND, THE 1999
With Kevin Clash, Mandy Patinkin, Vanessa L. Williams
Directed by Gary Halvorson
What a breath of fresh air. No guns, no blood, no cursing. Our cute, sweet little Sesame Street monster, Elmo, finally gets his own movie. After an argument with his friend Zoe about his favourite blue blanky, it gets sucked into Grouchland and he pursues his cotton buddy as serious as a heart attack. In Grouchland everything is filthy and everyone’s, yes, grouchy. But little Elmo is so innocent and kind that he sees good in everything…except Huxley, the mean villain who dominates everyone in Grouchland, taking anything he likes, claiming it his. Poor old Elmo tries to get to Huxley’s castle to claim it back, but it’s no easy task, pretty much like Labyrinth, only less detailed (coincidentally also a Henson Production). Silly songs, loony moments, many laughs and a bunch of Sesame Street cameos like Big Bird, Burt & Ernie and more, make this one heck of a feel-good movie.
5 / B
- PB

AC / DC - Live At Donnington
In 1991 these Aussie rock gods were at the crest of their game. Headlining that year's Donnington Monsters Of Rock Festival (with Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche and The Black Crowes) the five-man army led by the brothers Young on guitars and Brian Johnson on vocals erupted with a bang. This DVD contains the entire show with one and a half dozen of their killer tunes, including Thunderstruck, Back In Black, Jailbreak, The Jack, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Money Talks, Hells Bells, Whole Lotta Rosie, Let There Be Rock, Highway To Hell and For Those About To Rock. That impossible to imitated sound and inimitable schoolboy outfitted Angus Young igniting the stage with his playing and physicality is matchless. With the enormous stage set-up (including several gigantic blow up figures, huge bells and cannons), the 26-camera set-up let's nothing slip by. A commentary track with the Young brothers adds an insightful and humourous touch while the discography also receives commentary snippets on each release. You also get to watch a few tracks in iso-cam mode, focusing on individual members. This is an incredible show, still kicking ass after more than a decade.
6 / A
- PB

AEROSMITH - Big Ones
Yes, they might be aging rockers dying to be young again, but nobody does it better! All cleaned up and healthy, Tyler & Perry (The Toxic Twins) resurrected their band, giving younger groups some stiff competition. Their finest videos are on display here with the emphasis on women, youth and technology. Behind the scenes clips deliver a few good laughs and casts an interesting spotlight on how it all came together.
4 / B
- PB

THE AFFAIR OF THE NECKLACE
With Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Baker, Adrien Brody, Christopher Walken
Directed by Charles Shyer
A young girl whose birthright was taken from her grows up to infiltrate the highest court, playing the fops at their own game to attain what is rightfully hers. A lush period piece set in revolutionary France featuring both a post- and pre-Oscar winner (Swank and Brody). The lust for the physical, justice and vengeance sail alongside each other with a fair share of corruption and frustration thrown in to the mix.
3 / C
- PB

AGNES BROWNE
With Anjelica Huston, Marion O’Dwyer, Ray Winstone, Arno Chevrier
Directed by Anjelica Huston
Agnes Browne is a heartfelt and touching tale of a widow and her seven children in 1967 Ireland during, based on the novel “The Mammy” by Brendan O’Carroll. Huston carries the character with courage, at the same time taking on the task of directing the film. Her struggle to keep head above water financially as well as tend to her children is a phenomenal task. But with good friends, anything can be overcome. Yet, unfortunately this doesn’t go for terminal illness and losing her friend is like losing a family member. One blow is dealt after another, but Agnes persists. Even the loan shark that has the whole district in his grasp can’t get her down. To top it all, her favourite star is coming to town for one show - Tom Jones. A lovely film with a cold, grey atmosphere but rays of light inside.
4 / C
- PB

AI: Artificial Intelligence
Directed by Steven Spielberg
With Hayley Joel Osment, William Hurt, Jude Law
Pinnochio Gets a Futuristic Makeover.
Originally slated to be one of late director Stanley Kubrick's last projects, the futuristic story of a robot child who is programmed to act and respond emotionally finally made it to celluloid realization through the eyes of Steven Spielberg. What, albeit slowly, starts out like a reasonable futuristic cyberpunk story where a prototype child robot is programmed and designed to love and give a childless couple (and eventually single wealthy Hollywood lesbians, no doubt) a glimmer of parenthood, soon picks up pace but alas, begins to fall apart with all the grace of a tomato-box go-kart not built to stand up to the rigours of the race. Spielberg irritatingly references the Pinnochio fairytale throughout, supposedly as a justification for this cinematic equivalent of the appendix - ie: useless and potentially detrimental. Keep an ear out for the film's liberal doom-and-gloom-environmental commentry geared towards today's gullible audiences in the opening line: "The world was submerged in water after the polar ice caps had melted from the greenhouse gases..." or something like that - okay, it's Sci-Fi, but puh-leez...! Boring borrowed visions of a post-apocalyptic future are commonplace as the story becomes too involved, attempts to touch on too many complex issues (worthy of full-length films themselves) and ultimately has to unravel itself with the help of some alien narration! Sound ridiculous? It IS! Thank God Stanley Kubrick did indeed not make this major disappointment. Jude Law's great, quirky performance is utterly WASTED on this tripe whose nose grows ever longer as it fumbles along.
3 / C
- Brett Reynolds (USA)
...the 2nd opinion...
AI: Artificial Intelligence
Directed by Steven Spielberg
With Hayley Joel Osment, Jude Law, William HurtIn a very Bladerunner fashion, Spielberg takes the Brian Aldiss Sci-Fi short story originally eyed by movie master Stanley Kubrick and turns it into an awesome look at the future and the advance of robots to near-human beings. Kubrick was going to direct, but approached Spielberg for the task, as he wanted to act as producer in stead, sadly passing away before it hit the screens. Where robots were originally functioning within society without as much emotion as the real thing, a scientist develops the first child robot with the ability to love - David. His journey into the world of humans and their many flaws, heightens his innocence and more idealistic programming. When the family who's cryogenically frozen boy whom he "replaced" gets better, David is discarded, having to fend for himself, unable to grasp the reasons. Once he hooks up with a renegade gigolo robot, they start the journey to find his purpose (via the Pinocchio clues). The nasty side of humanity, its intolerance and abuse of emotions surface in the eyes of machines whose interpretation of these unconditional feelings are a bit too real and pure for some. Consequences of playing God and the repercussions of such creations obviously feature. That Spielberg-E.T. atmosphere is present, but with a strong Bladerunner sense (as mentioned before), especially in the neon drenched futuristic city illuminating this world of tomorrow. A.I. travels beyond your expectations and becomes a very moving and emotional piece of Sci-Fi cinema (or possible Science-Fact?), all stemming from a boy who is in fact nothing more than mechanical parts & programming. The fact that we get to feel for a "lifeless" robot may perhaps reflect good on us - that our compassion can reach beyond our own humanity. While a hanky or two may be handy, it is hardly a soppy kids' flick, the slow but rewarding pace taking you into a vastly rich cinematic experience. (Be on the lookout for Ministry shredding it up at the anti-robot destruction scene).
5 / B
- PB

AIR - Eating Sleeping Waiting and Playing
The French duo of Godin & Dunckel comprising Air is one of the few bands that can rip off a retro cheese style without seeming contrived or utterly boring. You can't resist those robot voice effects! Mike Mills, the director of their promo clips, covered their tour and reflects the way it is, no frills. The one-hour documentary follows the two with their full session band, seemingly trying to get to grasp their headspace, but not entirely succeeding. Interviews with band members and footage from all aspects of the tour, from the bus & hotel to on & backstage, photo-shoots and press junkets (as well as questions not related to the band directed at people on the street). Shot in black & white from New York to London and Paris, the documentary takes on an artistic as well as dry humourous tone. Camerawork gets experimental and sharp editing create interesting scenarios. If you don't know Air at all (like most of the street interviewees) this film could be an even more incredible experience. The four Mills videos from their first album Moon Safari are all included as bonus features: Sexy Boy, Kelly Watch The Stars, All I Need and Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi. Photographs, storyboards for Kelly Watch The Stars and graphics for Sexy Boy are some of the extra features included.
5 / B
- PB

AKIRA
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomoto
Akira was the first Japanese Anime feature film to truly transcend the futuristic TV cartoon action episodes, and translating a more mature animation genre to the big screen and beyond. Since then the movement has exploded with countless incredible Manga films pushing the boundaries of extremity. Based on Katsuhiro Otomoto's graphic novel, he also directed this classic from 1988 with chief animator Takashi Nakamura's expert assistance. Tetsuo and his biker gang encounter a military operation in the process of trying to capture an experimental subject. Tetsuo is caught and the experiments conducted on him leads to the apocalyptic unleashing of his intense psychic powers. Wild, vibrant, intense and the one anime flick (together with Ghost In The Shell) that everyone needs to see - even if it's not your kind of thing. This digitally remastered Special Edition also comes in both the old and a new English dub - but for the original impact, watch the Japanese version. Dragonball-Z and Pokémon this is not!
6 / B
- PB

ALADDIN
With voices by Robin Williams, Gilbert Gottfried, Scott Weigner, Linda Larkin
Directed by Bill Perkins, John Musker, Ron Clements
The advantage of DVD is that past classics (or some less so) get a new lease on life with added bit & pieces. With Disney we used to get cinematic re-releases so all generations can enjoy some of its brilliant animated productions through time. Now everything is available for everyone. Aladdin started the wave of new generation large-scale animated feature films with the cute factor somewhat making way for the hip modern teen angle. The watered down Arabian Nights story and the lamp genie is an age-old tale that gets the Disney once-over with an heroic young protagonist who falls for the unattainable royal princess Jasmine. There's an evil villain (Jafar) who wants the lamp's power. But with the lamp in Aladdin's possession, the crazy genie (voiced by Robin Williams) can make things much easier, but also more nuts. Monkey sidekicks, flying carpets, action, adventure, romance - all the ingredients to get the family together on the couch. Obviously the DVD has a string of bonus features.
4 / B
- PB

THE ALAMO
With Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson, Jordi Mollá, Emilio Echevarría
Directed by John Lee Hancock
The historic event of The Alamo was also a starring vehicle for John Wayne in 1960 as actor and director. It tells the true events of the two-week standoff at the makeshift Alamo fort (housing a dilapidated church) between Americans and Santa Ana's Mexican army, in territory which eventually became Texas. The folk heroes Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Will Travis took the army on with a small force of men and limited supplies and ammunition. With reinforcements not turning up, they fought hard and fierce against a sure defeat. Hancock further brings the characters to life with their internal strife and power struggles on top of the battle at hand. Thornton is good as the legendary Crockett and the patriotic flag waving opportunities are not avoided.
4 / B
- PB

ALBAN BERG QUARTETT - Beethoven String Quartet's Vol. 1 - 3
The Alban Berg Quartett is one of our time's most incredible string groups. These three double DVD releases contain the extensive recordings of the group's live Beethoven quartet performances at the Mozart-Saal, Konzerthaus, Vienna. The perfect digital sound gives life to the spectacular music of this brilliant composer, which is food for the soul. No cheesy House beats, no pointless lyrics, no extravagant stage tricks, no pontification - just timeless music in the hands of masters.
6 / A
- PB

ALEXANDER
With Colin Farrell, Val Kilmer, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Jared Leto
Directed by Oliver Stone
Always drawn to powerful men with human flaws, Oliver Stone this time ventures out of our timeframe and way into the past to create one of his first period epics. He skillfully draws the character of Alexander The Great and his rise to power, but sometimes stretches the scenes to transcend languid and imposing into protracted boring territory. Passionate conflicts abound between father and son, intense battles between enemies and lust for power, honour and proving ones worth in a personal and ruling capacity (for the good of the nation and all man) are at the heart of the matter. A good companion piece to the recent Troy, Alexander however is less of an action film and more of a human study. Oliver Stone is a great director, but unfortunately this is not one of my favourites.
4 / C
- PB

THE ALEXANDRA BRASS BAND - Live At The Arena
The Alexandra Brass Band consists of about a dozen or so musicians blowing their hearts out on trumpets, trombones and saxophones (keyboards, drums & bass also a part). They acted as South African president Thabo Mbeki's opening act several times, their blend of township energy, jazz- and military band sounds making for a vibrant concoction that has the audience on their feet. The DVD offers nine songs recorded live, plus an interview which, if you only speak English or Afrikaans, will have difficulty understanding (as no subtitles are provided!). A homegrown slice of vibes.
3 / B
- PB

ALFIE
With Jude Law, Marissa Tomei, Susan Sarandon, Omar Epps, Renee Taylor
Directed by Charles Shyer
I ought to be ashamed of myself. I've never seen the original Lewis Gilbert multi Oscar nominated version starring Michael Caine. Besides the fact that on its release it was still 4 years before I was born, many essential flicks slip through the cracks - something to unearth in later life!. Here Jude Law does an admirable job of interacting with the audience as he talks us through his playboy lifestyle as an Englishman in New York. The rituals, the tactics, the pay-offs and the results are laid out, explained and justified. But in the wake of Alfie's antics there are more than just a few hearts broken, some get mutilated. Besides that he is faced with two dilemmas that alters his entire perspective and whether his self-gratifying nature and actions are worth the consequences - costing him more than he may be prepared to accept. Witty, titillating and thought provoking all at once, with a morality choice at play instead of judgement. The soundtrack features the unmistakable voice of Mick Jagger. A nice touch is the inclusion of stills of the filmmakers over their end credits, original shots of Michael Caine as well.
4 / B
- PB
…and the 2nd opinion…
ALFIE
With Jude Law, Marisa Tomei, Susan Sarandon, Omar Epps, Renee Taylor
Directed by Charles Shyer
In 1966 the original Alfie was released to great acclaim. Almost 40 years later, Charles Shyer undertook the task of reinventing and updating a story loved by many for decades. Alfie is a young, smarmy, likeable little womanizing git whose ladish ways and English charms get him into many panties and ultimately, big trouble. Jude Law does a good job of filling Michael Caine's shoes, as he frequently explains his philosophy, style and motivations straight to camera. The New York setting is wonderful and moral judgement on a promiscuous lifestyle subtle. Along the way Dave Stewart and Mick Jagger's soundtrack becomes an integral voice.
4 / C
- Pablo Priest

ALI
With Will Smith, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Jada Pinkett Smith
Directed by Michael Mann
While this is such an important 20th century figure, there is not much the world doesn't know about world champion boxer Mohammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay). While wonderfully executed, it still feels like a mere dramatized chronological narrative construction of the major part of his life, which is already public knowledge. Bits like his friendship with Malcolm X & the Muslim movement and his marital relationships get some attention, but it is Ali's affinity with legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell that is the standout point. Superbly portrayed by Jon Voight, this Oscar performance ads a spice to the film that, without it, would've been plain at best. Mann and Smith manage to bring out the Ali character in all of its facets. From his big talking and great boxing to his conscientious views on being Black in America and his refusal to be drafted for the Vietnam War which cost him years of court battles and financial crippling. Still, no surprises. Black actors still get shortchanged with parts in Hollywood. But where Denzel Washington's title role in Malcolm X was his definitive performance, for some time to come the portrayal of Ali will remain Will Smith's most accomplished part yet, the forgettable action movies falling by the wayside. Whether other actors might've pulled a better performance out of their hats, Smith looks the part and managed to really throw himself into the role and pull it off. But, if you hadn't seen When We Were Kings, the documentary about the Rumble In The Jungle with Foreman, or have little Ali knowledge in general, the film will be an interesting biopic with entertainment value as well as humour and a sense of education. Perhaps Scorsese would've constructed a more gritty, honest film, but he'd already made the best boxing film of all time (Raging Bull), and it's not like anyone wants the now frail Ali to be seen as anything less than an American, Sports, Black and World hero.
4 / C
- PB

ALICE COOPER - PRIME CUTS
This documentary on the grand daddy of Shockrock, Alice Cooper, was released in the early 90s. This retrospective with live footage, old interviews and video clips plus interviews by Alice himself, his manager and producer shed a lot of light on the man many feared to be the son of the devil and group they wished never existed. Interesting anecdotes, details and facts come to the fore, shattering many misconceptions the world has about this intriguing character who has been at it since the late 60s and basically shattering the love generation with their raw, dangerous Rock & Roll approach. The stage theatrics, snakes, costumes, blood and amazing songs all blend as part of this historic phenomenon. A Jukebox feature skips to any of the almost 3 dozen songs featured on the documentary, like School's Out, I'm Eighteen, The Ballad Of Dwight Frye, Dead Babies, Poison, Elected and more. A 2nd disc contains many extra features, but can only be accessed via playing a Snakes & Ladders game!
PS. Stay tuned for a more in-depth review by SA's Nr.1 Alice Cooper fan!
5 / A
- PB

ALICIA KEYS - Unplugged
The stunning voice of Alicia Keys is paired with a beautiful face, making her the perfect package. This unplugged performance can be purchased in either CD or DVD format, but while it's great to listen to, it doesn't exactly hurt to see her doing it! The songs she takes down a notch includes her popular favourites like A Woman's Worth, Unbreakable, If I Was Your Woman, and of course Fallin'. Adam Levine from Maroon 5 joins her on Wild Horses with other guests including Damian Marley and Mos Def.
5 / B
- PB

THE ALIEN SERIES
These films put quite a few people on the map. Director Ridley Scott wowed the world with the original installment of space exploration gone awry as an alien species inhabits human hosts by laying eggs down your throat and having their young burst from your chest - yummy. Sigourney Weaver's amazing portrayal of Ripley in each of the films made her a strong female lead, in my opinion far more so than Sharon Stone ever could. But, one of the biggest stars and imperitive antagonists in the series, the aliens, were created by bio-mechanical artist genius, H.R.R. Geiger, who won an Oscar for his design of both the alien and the extraordinary sets. This film (together with the original Star Wars trilogy), set the precedent for almost every Sci-Fi movie to follow - and who said the 70's sucked? After small film projects that included Piranah II-Flying Killers and The Terminator with a cetrain guy called Arnie, an ambitious director (you might have heard of by now), James Cameron, tackled the sequel with full force, turning it, not only into one of the greatest Sci-Fi movies in a long time, but also one of the liveliest action movies of the '80's. This version of Aliens is the Special Edition, ie. the director's cut. It includes about 20 minutes of additional footage that had to be removed from the original cut (mainly for time factors). Some of the scenes might be so quick you won't even notice, but some extra info explains a lot of Ripley's character development. Well worth owning, if not as part of the whole set, on its own. Before the media darlings made a big whoo-haa about Demi Moore's G.I. Jane shaven head, Weaver had been there and done it for Alien 3, directed by David Fincher (his feature debut after music videos and ads). He of course went on to make films like Se7en. Here one would expect the storyline to be getting a bit of mould growing on it as the stale factor sets in. Not quite. This sends the film in a whole new direction as Ripley crash lands on a penal colony after Aliens' grand finale'. The dark, serious atmosphere gets some extra texture under Fincher's direction (although the ending might cause a few groans). After a long search for the right team to pull off Alien Resurrection, long time associate in the series, action director Walter Hill (acting as producer/writer in a few instances) and his cohorts considered everyone, including the Trainspotting guys. French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet was the lucky guy to land the job. The style he gave to such French classics as Delicatessen finds its perfect medium in this great 4th installment where Ripley ends up being a clone with an evil governmental company wanting to train the aliens and use them for their own means. Who would've expected the writer of Toy Story to come up with something as dark! As I said, some of these films are great to have as one offs, but as a whole it is just such an amazing series with such great continuity that the only way to do it is have the whole lot.

ALIEN
With With Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton
Directed by Ridley Scott
Before Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey at the end of the '60s, Science Fiction films were cheesy low budget B-movie fodder. In the mid 1970's George Lucas turned the genre into a successful franchise with Star Wars. But in 1979 Ridley Scott transformed Dan O'Bannon's creation into the first real space horror film of substance, at the same time creating the first believable female action star. The spaceship Nostromo reacts on a distress beacon from a deserted planet. The reconnaissance team gets caught off guard by a parasitic organic life form attaching itself to the face of a crewmember. Back on the ship they find that this creature in fact used the man as an incubator for the alien beast lurking inside its host. Of course this monster announces itself in an historic cinematic scene, kick-starting the franchise for one of the universe's most menacing creature-villains. With great make-up FX & H.R.R. Geiger design, amazing sets and fine performances, Scott thoroughly entertains his audience as he makes these fantastic events quite believable. With a great Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack on top of it al, this timeless classic started a whole new genre which is a total must-see. Three years later Scott would further expand the futuristic film with his classic Bladerunner.
This DVD release contains a commentary track by Scott, deleted scenes, outtakes, artwork & photo galleries, isolated original score, alternate music track, original storyboards and original trailer. Obviously this cannot be watched in anything but widescreen.
6 / A
- PB

ALIENS
With Sigourney Weaver, Lance Henriksen, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton
Directed by James Cameron
After his hit with The Terminator, James Cameron leaped into A-list director status with this action packed sequel to Scott's classic. Instead of replicating the atmospheric tension of the original, they went all out warfare with this one. Space marines are called in when they lose contact with human colony base LV-426. With the alien creature suspected, Ripley is called in to assist (being the only surviving human with knowledge of the acid blooded leathery beast). Prior to this she gets grilled by bureaucrats for blowing up company equipment, her story not exactly believed and she has to come to terms with her life after being in deep sleep for decades, outliving her family etc. At almost 2 ½ hours, this Director's Cut doesn't leave you bored, even when a kid gets thrown into the mix. The action is fast, slick and exhilarating, the cliché military characters becoming part of the fun and not a deterrent. Overrun by aliens, getting slaughtered left and right, a replicant becomes Ripley's ally (after reservations with the one in the first film flipping out). This time James Horner took over the soundtrack duties.
With no director's commentary for this DVD release, you do get a Cameron interview, behind the scenes footage, restored footage for the Director's Cut, as well as stills.
6 / A
- PB

ALIEN 3
With Sigourney Weaver, Charles Dance, Charles S. Dutton, Lance Henriksen
Directed by David Fincher
Stylish director David Fincher was chosen to helm the third (and most controversial) in the Alien franchise. With serious stifling studio fights, the film ended up not representing Fincher's vision. Escaping the second film, Ripley's ship crash lands on Fiorna 161, inhabited by inmates from the planet's maximum security prison. Her ship had a stow-away however, and her nightmare recurs. With a gritty, earthy texture and style of its own, this film definitely cannot be accused of merely replicating the previous two, but a director's cut would be great to see. The film features early digital creatures, quite noticeably so, but for the most part the alien is as convincing and menacing as always. This DVD release has very few extras, except for a Making-Of and trailer.
4 / B
- PB

ALIEN RESURRECTION
With Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, Michael Wincott, Brad Dourif
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
The doubts were running high when the struggle to get a script and director for the fourth Alien didn't go as smoothly in the wake of the last disappointment. Some even wondered whether they should've attempted another one. But, making money is always more important than maybe destroying the mystique a film holds for fans. With the seemingly irreversible ending of Alien 3, the writers make the justification an acceptable one (only just). It is 200 years after the third film. Ripley and a motley crew of spacedogs have to face off with the universe's most fierce creature. One of the best choices the producers made was to get French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (of Delicatessen and City Of Lost Children fame). The diversion from an American point of view and style was essential to keep it alive. If you're a real fan, then obtaining the Alien Quadrilogy DVD box-set would be the ultimate goal - it contains each of the four movies, plus four discs of extras.
4 / A
- PB

ALIEN vs PREDATOR
With Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Raoul Bova, Ewen Bremner
Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson
Another case of "why did they bother". The anticipation has been building for this one amoung genre fans (like Freddy vs Jason), and like the slasher clash, falls way short. Graphic novels, PC games and fantasies have delved into this showdown, but in the end, we could only have expected nothing more than a mediocre action flick. The only redeeming factor is the presence of Lance Henriksen cast as the wealthy head of the corporation (who obviously used him later as a template for the Bishop replicant - he even does a quick knife-between-fingers trick with a pen). A team is sent to Antarctica where a thermal flash was detected. They find themselves part of a ploy to get our Predator hunters to have some sport, but the lethal Aliens are also part of the deal. Scriptwise the connection is not badly laid out, but (I hate to keep using it) as with Freddy vs Jason, the potentially explosive meeting is a disappointment. Director Anderson gave us enjoyable movies like Event Horizon and Resident Evil, but with the history of especially the Alien franchise, this is just not strong enough to impress in the shadow of those cool movies. A very weak female lead and so-what Alien-Predator extra-fodder are only a few of the problems. At least the story was co-written by original creator Dan O'Bannon. A true fan will watch it no matter what I say, but just be prepared not to be blown away.
2 / C
- PB

ALL SAINTS
Girl groups have been around for ages. With the Spice Girls exploding onto an unsuspecting public, all0 of a sudden every all-female pop group that followed would be measured up and compared to the all-mighty Britslags. These ladies have held their own amoungst the Spicy mania, and on this tape all of their video hits are represented for your listening (or volume down, watching pleasure). Whether the cover of the unforgettable Chllie Peppers track, Under The Bridge was at all necessary, is quite debatable.
3 / C
- PB

ALL THE PRETTY HORSES
With Matt Damon, Henry Thomas, Penèlope Cruz, Lucas Black, Sam Shepard, Bruce Dern, Robert Patrick
Directed by Billy Bob Thornton
Without falling into a pure Western, Thornton constructs an even-paced picture dealing wioth several themes, one of them the discovery of manhood in a land of opportunity - but the merciless avenues of life and choices can bring it all crashing down. When two friends decide to travel to Mexico to taste life, they bite off more than they can chew without even knowing it. Repercussions of actions catch up with them when things start to look sweet, working for a rich Mexican rancher, breaking in horses. Damon falls for the boss's daughter - a conquest not met with family approval or without consequence. Mere hardship is surpassed by the unforgiving hand of corrupt authorities and the danger of losing their lives become a shocking revelation, even when they know they've done no wrong. All The Pretty Horses is one of those bitter-sweet Western landscape tales where seemingly insignificant characters become huge driving forces, not only for the narrative, but also for its emotional impact. Affecting time and consequence off-screen, unaware how the cogs turn while the others are living their lives. A sweeping, moving film that can get a little slow, but if you ready yourself for a session like that, the humanity of the courageous tale will mean much more.
3 / C
- PB

ALMOST FAMOUS
With Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand
Directed by Cameron Crowe
This highly entertaining film is partly based on Crowe’s life as a rock journalist for the likes of Rolling Stone Magazine during the 70’s. Barely out of school, our young hero lands a job writing an on-the-road article on the near-stardom band Stillwater. He gets drawn into their world of music, partying and girls (his mom freaking!). No, it’s not a frat-style party-on movie. It’s far more intelligent than that. The care and artistry with which Crowe recreates this journey back into time (from the costumes & hairstyles to the bitter sweet humour & humanity and soundtrack written by him & his ex-Heart guitarist wife) is an amazing experience. He recreates a world touring rock bands when music still meant something - but that doesn't mean they don't get up to a whole lot of shit. It's just that where another film would've focussed on the immature party aspect, Almost Famous digs into the emotions of all involved, the journalist, the groupie, the rock-star...A lovely film.
5 / B
- PB

ALONE IN THE DARK
With Jack Palance, Donald Pleasence, Martin Landau, Deborah Headwall, Dwight Schultz
Directed by Jack Sholder
This psycho-killer flick was quite an enjoyable romp at its time of release in the early '80s. The story follows the classic theme popular at the time of the lunatics escaping from an insane asylum. This gang proceed to terrorize the family of a doctor and have no qualms to kill. Palance is great, doing his slanty-eyed thing and Pleasence's popularity for this kind of movie was out in full force since his appearance as doctor Loomis in John Carpenter's late '70s classic Halloween. I haven't seen the movie since way back, but for some reason my most vivid memories is that of a knife being jabbed through a mattress from underneath the bed and a rock band singing Chop-Chop with polystyrene hatchets on stage!
2 / B
- PB

ALONG CAME A SPIDER
With Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter, Michael Wincot
Directed by Lee Tamahori
If Kiss The Girls is not your kind of movie, then this won't work for you. If the profiling hunt for a mad killer & kidnapper makes your bomb tick, however, the reprising character portrayed by Foreman from the aforementioned thriller will no doubt make your suspense gland twitch. A political figure's daughter is kidnapped amid strict security and our man is called in. In fact, the kidnapper insists on his involvement. With no apparent motive or demand other than committing the crime of the century, the race is on to sift through clues and not only save the girl and get the bad guy, but also to get to the bottom of what he's really after. Enjoyable enough, at least the film takes a little twist here & turn there to ensure your attention's directed at the screen. Director Lee Tamahori really made an impact with his stark portrayal of violent Maori family life in Once Were Warriors. It feels as though any new director could've made Along Came A Spider work, his stamp not exactly imprinted on it (or maybe we have too high expectations because of his impressive debut? Mulholland Falls was also pretty bland - I guess if you can make your way to Hollywood after your first flick, that's not bad going, question remains how much clout you have in picking your next project. At least Tamahori managed to get Bond20! A once in a lifetime shot). While this is not the kind of film you'll die for additional info or DVD extras, at least it contains a featurette & trailer.
3 / B
- PB

ALTERED STATES
With William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid
Directed by Ken Russell
British nutter director Ken Russell departed from his usual obsession with artists and took a stab at this interesting mind-altering tale of a scientific university researcher who encounters regressive evolutionary trips while suspended in an isolation tank after ingesting a potent South American tribal potion. His mental transformation and hallucinations seem to start translating to the physical realm as his body begins random transformation. The special make-up FX were great for its time and is still effective today. Altered States is quite a trip with Russell's penchant for sexual and catholic imagery also a presence.
PS. Keep an eye out for a little Drew Barrymore. Pop group a-ha imitated the final hallway sequence in their Take On Me music video.
5 / B
- PB

AMAZING STORIES
With Christopher Lloyd, Kiefer Sutherland
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis
This very entertaining movie followed the multi chapter story narrative like that of the Twilight Zone and Creepshow movies. The original flick includes tales of The Mission (where a cartoon artist is stuck in a WWII bomber's bottom machine gun cockpit with the wheels damaged, landing sure to crush him), Mummy Daddy (with an actor in a mummy movie on his way to his wife giving birth, a real mummy risen from the tomb), and Go To The Head Of The Class (two kids using a backward message spell on a record to prank their nasty teacher - but things go wrong). Amazing Stories was also converted into a spooky, weird and paranormal video/TV series with episodes featuring high profile talent like directors Martin Scorsese and Tim Burton, and actors like Danny DeVito, Patrick Swayze, John Lithgow and Gregory Hines. With varying merits, these shows were still more enjoyable than the regular stale videos and TV programming flung at numbed viewers 24-7.
4 / A
- PB

AMERICAN BEAUTY
With Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper
Directed by Sam Mendes
A giant Oscar contender in 2000 (8 in all, winning most top honours, walking off with best picture, director, screenplay & actor), it was a wise choice - not safe, not too wild either. Mendes takes a languishing, intimate look at suburban mediocrity, delving into its dark secrets hiding behind artificial smiles and picket fences. Not to the extent that David Lynch does it, but in a poetic, humorous way nonetheless. The marriage of Lester (Spacey) and Carolyn (Bening) is a façade of boring normality, cultivated through years of drifting apart due to routine and taking everything for granted. The relationship with their daughter is also on a thread - especially when Lester meets her sexy school friend, literally drooling over her, kick-starting fantasies and new realizations. He decides his life needs to change as his fantasies get more vivid and seem likely to be fulfilled. After he starts to work out, he quits his job, buys pot from the new boy next door (Ricky), buys a new car and finally starts to feel good about himself again. Carolyn (an estate agent) starts an affair with her big time competitor while their daughter Jane is falling for the seemingly strange boy next door who videotapes everything he sees. Through the regularity and simplicity there is horror and a potential fatality lying in wait. The humour is subtle one time, blatant another while the overall mood of the film leaves one with a satisfied feeling that you’ve just seen a movie that is worthwhile between all the schlock we’re fed.
5 / A
- PB

AMERICAN BUFFALO (in Afrikaans)
met Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Frantz, Sam Nelson
Regisseur: Michael Corrente
Hierdie puik weergawe van die David Mamet se verhoogstuk is boeiend, al bestaan die rolverdeling uit slegs drie karakters. 'n Tweedehandse winkel eienaar beplan 'n rooftog wat baie maklik klink. Dinge warm op wanneer 'n vriend ook 'n stukkie van die aksie wil he en hom verwar met die feite en sy eie belange daarin. Met net die een lokasie sou mens dink dit sal vervelig word, maar met sulke goeie spel en skerp skryfwerk is dit moeilik om jou aandag te laat dwaal.
5 / B
- PB

AMERICAN HISTORY X
With Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Fairuza Balk, Stacey Keech
Directed by Tony Kaye
Many skinhead movies have come & gone. This must be one of the most stark, realistic and moving of them all. Norton is a racist skinhead who ends up in jail for killing a group of black men who broke into their car. Prior to his incarceration he was the leader of a neo-nazi youth group who reeked havoc on minority and ethnic groups. His younger brother idolizes him, wanting to be just like him. But when he gets out of jail with a more clear vision of humanity, he tries to turn away from the group and get his brother away from it all. But the swastika tattoos are permanent ink and a mark of young stupidity. Furlong narrates throughout the film, the title taken from a special one student class his black teacher gives him: An assignment to rewrite a racist essay. Shocking, moving, hardcore, fulfilling & redeeming with total bitter-sweet and frustrating edges.
5 / B
- PB

AMERICAN OUTLAWS
With Colin Farrell, Scott Caan, Ali Larter, Kathy Bates, Timothy Dalton
Directed by Les Mayfield
In the vein of Young Guns, the James-Younger gang story gets told in a fun & dumb fashion with too much attempted hipness and humour detracting a great deal from the essence of the characters and their notorious bank robbing accomplishments. The emphasis does get placed on the unjust land-grabbing they encountered after returning from the civil war. If you want to check out a fine film focussed on these American historical characters, try the slick and violent Long Riders with the Keech, Quaid and Carradine brothers.
1 / C
- PB

AMERICAN PIE
With Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari
Directed by Paul Weitz
What Porky’s did for the early ‘80’s, American Pie might do for the closing of the ‘90’s. Not only is it a continuation as much as a resurrection of the “lose your virginity/getting laid high school comedy”. In this case our mixed bag of buddies all make a pact to leave school as men. There’s the sporty guy, the sophisticated guy, the shy klutz and so forth, each eyeing out their personal preference. Things obviously don’t go as expected in all cases, but the result is a bunch of laughs based around the theme we all know so well - well maybe not all of us are akin to the carnal pleasures of a freshly baked apple pie…
4 / A
- PB

AMERICAN PIE 2
With Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Chris Klein, Tara Reid, Sean William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eugene Levi
Directed by J.B. Rogers
What started out as a great 90's Porky's take was inevitably doomed to become a recurring teen-sex-comedy franchise. While sequels in general tend to have very little weight to equal or top the original (Austin Powers and the Alien series a few of the exceptions), the same rings true with this rehash. The same bunch of loveable characters (or despicable, depending how you look at it) return for more of the same. This time our group of buddies gets together at a beach house for the holidays (everyone attending different colleges & universities). It's meant to be the vacation of a lifetime. With sex foremost on their minds, expect a range of silly-ass jokes and gags related to awkward situations and private parts (with, I'll hand it to them, a couple of real laughs amid the stale stuff). For carefree entertainment, this follow-up will do just fine, but don't hold your breath for any timeless cinematic classic moments to hold dear and re-view forever.
3 / B
- PB

AMERICAN PIE presents BAND CAMP
With Arielle Kebbel, Jason Earles, Crystle Lea Lightning, Jun Hee Lee, Chris Owen, Ginger Lynn Allen, Eugene Levy
Directed by Steve Rash
We thought they'd give it up after three American Pie installments, but they obviously did the numbers and thought there's more cash to be milked from this frisky teen crude comedy franchise (the Porky's of the '90s), even if it's a straight to Video & DVD affair. The story picks up where the younger wannabe brother of Stifler (the Sean William Scott character) causes havoc at a band recital, which has him sent to band camp as punishment. Here he obviously joins up with the nerds to have their school's band win. With the prerequisite wide cultural cast of misfits, a lot of profanity and bad taste jokes (a few actually quite funny), stupid and perve moments (with a new musical instrument masturbation scene), it's exactly what you'd expect. The only actor of substance who featured in all of the movies is Eugene Levy.
Extras include Outtakes, Deleted Scenes, Dirty Diary (video diaries from two of the leads), Band Camp's Dirty Secrets, Secret Rovercam Footage, and Baby Got Back Music Video.
2 / C
- PB

AMERICAN PSYCHO
With Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Chloe Sevigny, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Matt Ross, Reese Witherspoon, Cara Seymour
Directed by Mary Harron
With this production dragging through many developments over several years, I thought the long anticipated film version of Bret Easton Ellis’s graphic, shocking novel would never be justified. I thought the misogynist, brutal acts of murder would be destroyed by a female writing-directing team. It is hardly the case with this great film that once had such names attached to it like David Cronenberg and Leonardo DiCaprio.. Sure, the most hardcore stuff had been left out or happens off-screen, but the essence is well maintained even though the onscreen gore and bloodletting is less prominent. The film becomes a fine satirical flash and parody on the yuppiedom of the 80’s and our anti-hero Bateman’s exploitation of the self-absorbed world of which he is an inescapable part. Very funny, well shot and exhilarating, with English actor Bale (first seen in Empire Of The Sun) perfect for the role, his arrogant American yuppie one to love and hate with a grin. A must see.
5 / A
- PB

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
With David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine
Directed by John Landis
Conceived during his stint as a stunt extra on the movie Kelly's Heroes, luckily this John Landis film was only made a decade later (after his romps Kentucky Fried Movie, Animal House and Blues Brothers), which in particular enabled the special FX to advance to such a stage (thanks to genius Rick Baker) to become the definitive werewolf transformation movie on which all would be based. The Howling came out around the same time with Rob Bottin's equally impressive, but seemingly lower budgeted take on the wolfman. This unforgettable lycanthrope romp opens with two American backpackers hiking through the moors of England. A crazed animal attacks them, one of them killed, the other wounded. The poor recovering guy is visited by his gory dead friend who tells him that they were attacked by a werewolf and he should kill himself before he turns into one himself and kills innocent people. He doesn't kill himself, and does turn into a werewolf when full moon strikes. On top of this he falls for the nurse looking after him. Landis constructed a great movie with a lot of humour, big scares and fantastic special FX. To this day one of the most memorable werewolf flicks. The twin disc 21st Anniversary Special Edition DVD's extra material include a fun actors' commentary track, behind the scenes footage and outtakes, interviews with John Landis and Rick Baker, a look at some prosthetic FX work in progress, a stills gallery, storyboard-to-screen comparisons and production notes in the accompanying booklet.
6 / A
- PB

AMISTAD
With Matthew McConnaughey, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins
Directed by Steven Spielberg
When a slave ship from Africa is taken over by its captives, it lands on American soil. An enormous courtcase ensues with many people claiming to own them slaves, while the lawyers want to give them their liberty from all of these. With the intense opening scene having great impact, it takes a bit of a dive as it turns into a courtroom drama with the white “saviours” seeming to get most of the spotlight, the black captives delivered at their mercy. It is however good to see the portrayal of “good whites” actually being out there. Yes, Spike Lee, we’re not all White Devils.
4 / C
- PB

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR
With James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg
True events in 1975 of a family terrorized by an evil entity in their new home (having them flee after less than a month) became the subject of a film in 1979. Starring (the man now known as Mr.Streisand) James Brolin heads the family who had the wits scared out of them. With some reviews ripping it off, it was an essential fright night choice in the early video rental days of the '80s. None of us can forget that striking house façade on the poster with its quarter circle windows, and the blood running down the walls from sockets and light fixtures. It spawned several lame sequels, including the third in 3D (as they did with the hat trick of Friday The 13th). 2004/2005 saw a commendable remake.
3 / B
- PB

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR
With Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jesse James, Jimmy Bennett, Chloe Moretz, Rachel Nichols
Directed by Andrew Douglas
Remade by the folks behind the Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-appraisal, again they did a pretty cool job and didn't create a disastrous time waster. The original film based on true events in the mid-'70s was released in 1979 starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder and Rod Steiger. A young family buys an amazing house at a steal. The catch: the son of the previous family had slaughtered everyone, claiming voices told him to do it. Slowly, across a mere 28 days, the evil essence of the house starts to influence the husband, taking over his mind, coaxing him to kill. This highly competent remake (like Chainsaw) doesn't update the era (remaining in the '70s), and offer some big scares and tension without losing you along the way. Obviously elements like make-up, camera techniques and a budget eclipsing that of the modest original many times over, this version is way more attractive to the eye, but without losing the dark essence of the horror. Andrew Douglas worked in a bit of a supernatural back-story to explain the origin of the evil - something I feel would've been better left unsolved. Everything doesn't need resolutions - sometimes evil must simply be evil, because it is.
4 / B
- PB

ANALYZE THAT
With Robert DeNiro, Billy Crystal, Lisa Kudrow
Directed by Harold Ramis
Is this the man who was Travis in Taxi Driver, Jake in Raging Bull, Rupert in King Of Comedy, and Jimmy in Goodfellas? Bobby, Bobby, Bobby! What's going on? Has the pay cheque become that important? If you loved the first one (Analyze This), the sequel will no doubt have a similar effect - the same goes for the vice versa. DeNiro's wiseguy is in prison. When they try to kill him in the joint, he fakes nuts to get his old "pal" shrink to bail him out. The cops play along and want him to lead them to his big score. Placed in Crystal's custody, they try to find him a job leading to many silly scenarios - until he lands a technical advisor spot on a gangster TV show - with more silly scenarios. The jokes run by numbers as the oil & water, tough guy & wimp set-ups run their course. There are more laughs in the end credit blooper roll than the whole damn flick. If this onepasses you by, rest assured that sleepless nights will not be the result.
1 / C
- PB

ANCHORMAN - The Legend Of Ron Burgundy
With Will Ferrel, Christina Applegate, Vince Vaughn
Directed by Adam McKay
Will Ferrel is a funny guy - a dorky American sort of funny where his choice of characters are usually idiots, the humour coming from their stupidity, dumb habits or embarrassing character flaws (- he also likes to parody George W.!). Here he takes us back to a time where news anchors were male, chauvinistic and smoking on air. The 70s feel is well set in the hair and suits, as well as the general un-PC behaviour. Ron Burgundy is the number one news anchor, but he and his team get intimidated when an ambitious woman infiltrate their ranks. Some real gems come from the mayhem as well as some sheer stupidity. One classic scene has all of the different news channel teams clashing in a gang showdown, including cameos from Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and even Tim Robbins! Hilarious. Jack Black also pops in for a scene as a biker. While dumb and frivolous, Anchorman is a riot nonetheless, and probably not apt for those who like their comedy in a Woody Allen vein.
DVD extras: Anchorman's additional material includes some great bits, from a "Making Of" documentary to some hilarious deleted scenes and outtakes plus trailers. There's even a music video of Ron Burgundy doing Afternoon Delight (!) as well as a feature length commentary track.
4 / B
- PB

ANGELA GHEORGHIU - Live From Covent Garden
It's never too late to get some culture - no, not the basketball-gear, ginormous swinging medallion, alcohol-marijuana hazed kulcha as in the commercially rampant urban hip-hop cliché, but that of the classics. Sure, opera can be seen as the tuxedo, golden cuff-linked, expensive brandy swilling, unaffordable cigar chomping bourgeois entertainment of choice, but whomever the supporters of the various musical factions, on purely aesthetic, artistic and musical grounds, it is a little more weighty in favour of the genre under discussion than the mere division between hip and square… Angela Gheorghiu is a Romanian soprano with a fantastic voice and a gracious manner. She is also not the 400 pound horned opera cliché. At this flawless Covent Garden performance she is backed by the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, conducted by Ion Marin. She soars through pieces by Handel, Mozart, Massenet, Charpentier, Puccini, Bellini, Brediceanu and Loewe, commanding her voice with no visible strain. The choice of English, German & French in the 20-page booklet also applies to the subtitles. Bonus features include an interview with Gheorghiu, a music video of Casta Diva as well as a discography with audio samples and a photo gallery. Sheer class.
5 / B
- PB

ANGEL HEART
With Mickey Rourke, Robert DeNiro, Charlotte Rampling, Lisa Bonet
Directed by Alan Parker
Angel Heart is one of Parker's most memorable movies (besides Pink Floyd - The Wall, of course), and is an incredible blend of detective noir and spiritual / religious quest in the search for the soul. Harry Angel is hired by a mysterious man to find a big band swinger who went missing before fulfilling his contract. What he finds is a bloody trail of cover-ups, lies, voodoo and evil. And that which he does uncover is mind-blowing. The hot and sweaty atmosphere of the American South, the great cinematography, editing, soundtrack and performances fuse to make one hell of a movie. This is one of those great '80s flicks that still stands up brilliantly decades later, it's period setting also not tying it to its decade of production, in effect making it timeless. A total must-see.
6 / A
- PB

ANGER MANAGEMENT
With Jack Nicholson, Adam Sandler, John Turturro, Marisa Tomei, Heather Graham, John C. Reilly, Adrian Ricard
Directed by Peter Segal
Sandler and Nicholson - quite a pair. Dave Buznick is a businessman whose non-aggressive in-flight behaviour gets overblown to the extent that assault charges get laid against him for the crew's over-reaction (quite a funny opener). Sandler's perfect for the role, the mild-mannered guy who gets the raw deal and eventually starts freaking, the old reversal. So, his sentence is attending anger management classes, the unconventional therapist, Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack). Besides his reluctance to commit to his girlfriend and feeling he doesn't really need the classes, the doctor moves in for a month for intensive therapy, turning his life upside down. Much is to be expected and the ending is totally crap, but at least enough of what precedes packs a few laughs. Jack is in wicked Witches Of Eastwick mode, a far cry from his marvellous recent straight role in About Schmidt.
[How's this for a trail: Luis Guzman, John C. Reilly and Heather Graham are all P.T. Anderson regulars. These three appear in this picture - and Sandler was in Anderson's Punch Drunk Love with Guzman. The real John McEnroe did walk-ons for both Mr. Deeds and Anger Management. Turturro was in Mr. Deeds with Sandler while Graham and Tomei appeared together in The Guru. Krikey, the powers have really pulled these people together the last few years]
3 / B
- PB

THE ANIMAL
With Rob Schneider, Colleen Haskell, John G. McGinley, Guy Torry, Edward Asner
Directed by Luke Greenfield
Mr Schneider never really had the propensity for taking the thespian art too seriously…As some of his past triumphs like Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo proved so aptly. Physical comedy, bad taste and slapstick is what he does best, not really worried about making a fool of himself. While the man is no Jim Carrey, he has a certain "underdog makes good" quality which is endearing to a certain extent. In this case he is an idiot (big surprise) who keeps failing the police exams, keeping him stuck as an evidence clerk. After an accident, a loony scientist takes him in and fixes him up with animal parts. His instincts, mannerisms and personality goes haywire as the different species' pros & cons (and advantages & embarrassing traits) filter through. He meets a girl and it seems as though things are cruising in his favour. But it's hardly ever that simple, especially with a mean cop bent on having him fail. Ample crazy scenarios result as he leaps into animal mode at any given time. Without the chance of raking in any awards, The Animal does comply with one of the first and foremost rules of cinema - it entertains, albeit in a sometimes cheap, tacky and stupid way.
3 / B
- PB

ANIMAL FACTORY
With Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Steve Buscemi, Mickey Rourke, Tom Arnold
Directed by Steve Buscemi
Every director should take on a jail film at some point or another. Buscemi does a great job with this one. Dafoe is a head honcho in a prison where he takes a young green convict under his wing. Internal rivalry, violence and the constant tension of mistrust comes across very well, the performances its main reason. Rourke’s small roll as a transvestite is unforgettable.
4 / B
- PB

THE ANIMATRIX
Directed by Andy Jones, Mahiro Maeda, Shinichiro Watanabe, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Koji Morimoto, Peter Chung
It is no secret that the Matrix creators are Anime / Manga fans, borrowing liberally from the classic Ghost In The Shell. Here their new muscle gets put to brilliant use by contracting some of the world's leading animation talents to tell Matrix related stories in this unique and intense format. The nine short films each have their own character and levels of emotion, texture, style, action and philosophy - but all umbilically tied to its Matrix generator. Four of the segments were written by Matrix fathers Andy and Larry Wachowski. The directors include Andy Jones, Mahiro Maeda, Shinichirô Watanabe, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Koji Morimoto and Peter Chung. You cannot miss this. Here's proof that animated art is not merely reserved for kids. For the ultimate version with extra features check out the DVD which includes making-of featurettes, selected commentary tracks and a documentary on the artform, Scrolls To Screen: The History and Culture of Anime.
6 / A
- PB

THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY
With Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Parker Posey, Kevin Kline, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. Reily
Directed by Alan Cumming & Jennifer Jason Leigh
Joe & Sally are entertainment darlings. He's an author who gets to make his directorial debut with one of his books and she's an actress. It's their 6th anniversary party and besides reconciling after a year's separation they also plan on starting a family. All of their industry buddies are invited as well as the antagonistic neighbours (dog disputes). The ease and natural way in which the actors portray their characters (from tense lawyers to neurotic wives or laid back actors and old friends) make the process that much more believable. Personal feelings, secrets and other surprises bubble to the surface as this often-funny drama carries the viewer into the evening when things hot up in several ways. Any movie with a fun, carefree mask holds an inherent tragic snag. Interesting how these two actors got together to write, direct and star in such an engaging film (which in parts seem to have been shot on digital video…)
5 / C
- PB

ANTI TRUST
With Ryan Phillippe, Tim Robbins, Rachel Leigh Cooke
Directed by Peter Howitt
In our age of increased advances and competition in harnessing information technology, many (if not most) of the geniuses are young kids with a total grasp of its function and possibilities. But, then there are large companies who harness this for capitalist gain where many of these computer geeks want free access for all. Robbins plays a blatant Bill Gates-like character whose monopoly of systems and software is as notorious as his philantropy and charity. A young computer genius, Milo, gets scooped up by his mighty tech empire embarking on a new age of information distribution on a global scale. He needs Milo's expertise to hit his launch date. What seems like a positive, wholesome and benificial venture turns very sour when Milo discovers some underhanded dealings which has corruption and murder at its core. Where will it stop? Well, it doesn't really matter, since the greater part of the plot doesn't hold many surprises. Phillipe is not as sexy as everyone thinks while his girlfriend is pretty damn hot - but if you watch closely, you'll see that she'll look like Bette Midler when she's older. For the most part she just tries to look sexy with her "squint the eyes while trying to open them wide" routine. Cooke is cute but drab and rather unnecessary, except for a so-what plot twist. Robbins does a fine job, as to be expected. As a glimpse at the way information and technology has travelled within the last ten years and beyond, Anti Trust can be seen as usefull in that respect. But as a "moral young generation up against a corrupt older power", its suspense driving force is pretty much standard fare. Computer geeks will love it, while anyone who has seen a wealth of TV shows about one man up against an almost immeasurable force won't feel cheated to see it on video for the first time. At least one of my favourite Massive Attack songs, Angel gets featured.
3 / C
- PB

The Work Of Director ANTON CORBIJN
The music video directors selected for these brilliant Directors Series DVDs are not your run of the mill, generic, basic dance video peddlers. They each have an artistic vision and amazing visual sense, enhancing the music of the band or artists who want pictures added to their music. Anton Corbijn is largely known as the Dutch photographer who became Depeche Mode's visual collaborator. This has included everything from photos and music videos to album covers and live stage design & projections. His love for grainy black & white has been utilized in many band promo clips (Joy Division), while others get stark use of colour (Nirvana). This DVD contains a range of his music videos. Depeche Mode is here of course with a few clips, as well as the abovementioned groundbreakers. Earlier alternative bands like Propaganda, Echo & The Bunnymen, Golden Earring and David Sylvian are also here. Other high profile acts include U2, Joni Mitchell & Peter Gabriel, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Henry Rollins, Metallica, Travis, and The Killers. Lesser known names comprise of Herbert Grönemeyer, Mercury Rev, and Joseph Arthur. You also get interviews, commentaries, a docy on Anton (NotNa) and extra stuff like the making of a U2 video, Depeche Mode tour projections, a Front 242 video, and hilarious MTV promos with Dave Grohl and Beck.
5 / A
- PB

ANTWONE FISHER
With Denzel Washington, Derek Luke
Directed by Denzel Washington
I am surprised Denzel Washington took so long to make his directorial debut. While the rumour may hold true in some cases that many writers want to be directors, just like not all stage actors want to be screen stars, it doesn't mean all movie actors have a burning desire to direct. In stead of tackling an African American life story of Martin Luther King's magnitude, in stead he opts for one of seemingly less significance but with equal inspirational and triumphant results. Antwone Fisher is a young man in the US Navy whose temper and inner aggression dumps him in constant trouble with his superiors. On being sent to a Navy psychiatrist for evaluation, his defiant tough guy act has little impact with the man who has to file the report on him. In stead his resistance is finally whittled down to him opening up. His talks with the psychiatrist (played by Washington) start to reveal a life of abandonment and abuse with which he still haven't come to terms with. His journey is one of bitter remembrance but ultimate victory and Washington tells the story without milking the obvious or getting over sentimental. Written by Fisher himself, the story of his life is one that can inspire across any race barrier.
4 / C
- PB

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
With Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, James Woods, LL Cool J
Directed by Oliver Stone
Never having been a big sports fan, I didn’t have many prospects when sitting down to watch this latest delivery by one of my favourite directors. And with Stone’s forte being political and war subjects, this look at sports had me skeptical. But by the time the credits rolled I was firmly convinced that this was one of the best sports films ever made. And believe me, it is fraught with internal politics and warring both on and off the field, no punches being pulled. Pacino is the aging coach for the Sharks who still believes in the original spirit of the game. Diaz plays the daughter of his old pal who owned the team, basically having inherited it from her father - she is the new blood looking at it from a younger and more financial point of view. Foxx (in his first serious and best big screen role ever) is the new quarterback filling in for an aging and injured Quaid, becoming extremely popular in the process, the fame going to his young head. The same generational change visible on the field. This film is filled with characters and relationships underlying the game, elevating it from a mere powersport to an in depth, exciting, amusing and well paced drama with not a dull moment in sight. The team of four editors pulled off one hell of a job with a constant barrage of double layered images and near subliminal flashes of information hitting the viewer. Even bits of audio at low volume slide in and out. Though Any Given Sunday will find more appeal in the states, this has to be seen for its sheer mastery in almost every technical aspect, not to mention the actors’ portrayal of the diverse characters baring most of the flaws the 7 deadly sins have to offer. An unbelievably great piece of work, keeping Stone on my list of favourite directors in stead of bumping him off against all expectations - prejudice is a silly thing.
6 / B
- PB

ANYWHERE BUT HERE
With Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Hart Bochner, Shawn Hatoshy
Directed by Wayne Wang
A heartfelt mother-daughter tale with a domineering (but loving) mom who wants to escape small town life and move to Beverly Hills so her daughter can become an actress. But her daughter doesn’t want any of that. She wants to be with her cousin and grandma back home. They struggle through many personality clashes and adaptations as they try to get by with little money and little back-up in the lower class part of Beverly Hills. But, as a daughter needs to depend on her mother, in as many ways the mother is insignificant without her daughter. With her father leaving them when she was four, she feels incomplete. The two are in conflict on many levels but still stick together as they push on. Reconciliation is hard, especially when you’re a stormy teenager who wants nothing more than to leave your mother and do what you want to do, follow your heart. It boils down to the two of them needing to find their independence, get to know one another better as well as themselves. Many disappointments come their way in this drama with hope under the skin. Sarandon is good as usual while Portman does a great turn as her daughter - she’s growing up fast since her wonderful performance in Luc Besson’s Leon. One little point, though, she has this look on her face as if she’s about to burst into tears any moment - part of the role or natural facial feature, I’m not sure, but it’s kind of distracting. It would however be good back-up to take a few hankies along for the odd sniffing moment. Just be grateful that they didn’t throw in a terminal illness for any of the lead characters.
3 / C
- PB
...in Afrikaans...
ANYWHERE BUT HERE
Met Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Hart Bochner, Shawn Hatoshy
Regisseur: Wayne Wang
‘n Enkelmoeder en haar dogter verlaat hul klein dooie dorpie om Beverly Hills toe te trek sodat die aantreklike jong meisie ‘n aktrise kan word. Maar, sy wil in haar tuisdorp bly waar sy by haar neefie en ouma kan wees en het ook geen ambisie as aktrise nie. Dis alles haar ma se idee, en soos sy glo, is sy die moeder en weet wat goed is vir haar dogter. Die twee sit gedurig vas soos hulle oor amper alles verskil. Hul aanpassing in die meer vervalle deel van Beverly Hills is ‘n strawwe een. Die geld is ook min, maar Sarandon leef ‘n bietjie in ‘n droomwe^reld, hoewel daar niks fout is met ambisie nie. Behalwe die fissiese probleme soos foutiewe waterpype en elektrisiteit wat afgesny word, groei Portman se drang om haar ma te verlaat. Soos Sarandon glo dat sy benodig word, het sy vir Portman net so baie nodig en haar hoop om ‘n universiteit aan die ander kant van die land by te woon skep baie onenigheid. Maar soos albei groei in hul ervaringe, begin hulle leer hoe om selfsug opsy te skuif en die ander ook ‘n kans te gee; die ma nie altyd blatant dominerend nie en die dogter ook nie altyd ‘n slagoffer nie. Sarandon is baie selde goor in ‘n rol terwyl Portman bra groot geword het sedert haar wonderlike debuut in Luc Besson se Leon (ook bekend as The Professional). Maar, of die treurende uitdrukking op Portman se gesig deel is van haar volwasse ontwikkeling en of die rol dit verlang het, weet ek nie. Ieder geval sit dit mens ‘n bietjie af. Dis vervrissend om weer ‘n slag ‘n rolprent te sien wat nie deur testosteroon gedryf is nie en dis wel ‘n inspirerende rolprent vir diegene met ‘n soortgelyke ouer/kind stryd, maar dis definitief nie regisseur Wayne Wang se beste nie.
3 / C
- PB

ARMAGEDDON
With Bruce Willis, Robert Duvall, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames
Directed by Michael Bay
Flag waving, God Bless America big budget action spectacular with a comet about to hit earth and a crack team getting sent into space to land on it, drill holes, plant explosives and split it in two, missing earth and total annihilation of our planet... Over sentimental and sometimes stupid, these factors didn’t keep the world away from the box office. Deep Impact was afar more realistic, emotional experience than this fanfare of overspending and excuse for a number one hit soundtrack. A true Bruckheimer/Simpson production (with the latter no longer with us).
3 / C
- PB

ARMY OF DARKNESS - The Medieval Dead
With Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert
Directed by Sam Raimi
With the budget rising each time a new Evil Dead is made, in no way does the style, class, gore or humour diminish (as one would expect on a possible Hollywood sell-out). Ash is flung into medieval times (as we saw at the end of part 2). He becomes saviour to the hapless ones, thinking he’s some kind of god (or demon), falling from the sky. Superb one-liners, crazy, funny & wonderfully thought out scenes and cool evil hordes in all shapes and sizes makes this a fine crown jewel to round off the trilogy. But, with Raimi now making “normal” movies (Darkman excluded), lets hope a 4th installment is not out of the question, and if so, that it won’t spoil the original masterpieces.
5 / A
- PB

THE ARRIVAL
With Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Crouse, Teri Polo, Ron Silver
Directed by David Twohy
This was around the time that Martin's boy decided to be more mature and refer to himself as Charles Sheen - it didn't last long. If you can get past the point of believing Charlie in the role of an astronomer, then you're well on your way. This was in fact made about a year before Contact, and sees Sheen listening to the heavens. On intercepting a signal that may be alien, he gets fired but investigates solo, uncovering a nasty conspiracy including global warming and alien colonization. There are some cool and creepy alien moments. Ron Silver does his Al Pacino-light impersonation along the way.
3 / C
- PB

ASH WEDNESDAY
With Edward Burns, Elijah Wood, Rosario Dawson, Oliver Platt
Directed by Edward Burns
THE SETTING
It is the Catholic celebration of Ash Wednesday in the Irish sector of Hell's Kitchen, New York, 1983. Three years prior, to the day, three men were gunned down in a pub toilet by a young Sean Sullivan, to protect his brother. Sean was said to be killed, but on the third anniversary of the shootings, he was spotted in a bar. This is getting many people uptight in the underground circles who were related to the victims as well as those who want to maintain the peace.
THE OLDER BROTHER & THE SITUATION
The aim of this varied disgruntlement is set on Sean's older brother, Francis, who had a very shady past but went on the straight & narrow since his brother killed those men. He goes around inquiring about the lookalike that was spotted, since he knows his brother was killed (a result of vengeance for the killings). This single, taut, gray day unfolds into a very intense character study of the various individuals connected by these events and the latent violence (and death as result) that can burst from it at any time. This is one of those films that seem more complex than it really is and therein lies the beauty. Well made, well shot, well acted and well worth seeing. Too much exposition of the theme will diminish the effect of the story telling itself - while some viewers will be surprised, there will be little of that for others, but then it is not meant to be a who-done-it or a mad gangster shoot-out flick on the flip-side. It's about family, loyalty, the will to change and fate wrapped up in destiny - all judged by split decisions with the intention of it being for the greater good, or the misconception that violence will put everything straight.
THE MUSIC
The background sounds in bars and crummy apartments offer up muffled 80s rock music from the likes of Scorpions, Motörhead, Judas Priest and in the grainy 1980 flashback during the shooting, the well chosen signature tune by Golden Earring, Radar Love.
THE LOOK
Burns employs many interesting partially de-focussed lens effects, which casts a portion of the picture in crisp focus, other areas of the same shot blurred. The lighting feels very natural with 60W bulbs and overhead florescent lights casting deep shadows enhancing the film's mood and texture. An alley chase scene offer up some very interesting light and shadow play.
STYLE & CONTENT
In a few respects Ash Wednesday feels a lot like State Of Grace, sans the glorified violence and romance - mainly its setting and the subject of a character from the past whose return can mean many dead bodies. It is gritty, realistic and keeps the viewer interested, both visually and thematically, even though there is very little flash involved. Do yourself a favour and catch this one if you need a change from the usual glitzy American offerings that get shipped through on a far too regular basis holding very little but passable eye-candy or the requisite adrenaline rush.
5 / B
- PB

THE ASPHYX
With Robert Stevens, Robert Powell, Jane Lapotaire, Fiona Walker, Alex Scott, Terry Scully, Ralph Arliss, John Lawrence, David Grey, Tony Caunter, Paul Bacon.
Directed by Peter Newbrook
An interesting film about a metaphysician who wants to capture the human soul on its departure from the human body at death. He captures the spirit-like specters (known to the Greeks as the Asphyx) on camera. But he wants to get hold of this essence in order to ensure immortality. When he experiments further by incorporating a motion picture camera he may have succeeded, but at a heavy price. A pleasant little early '70 chiller.
3 / C
- PB

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13
With Austin Stoker, Laurie Zimmer, Tony Burton, Nancy Loomis, Darwin Joston
Directed by John Carpenter
This early Carpenter movie is a take on the classic Rio Bravo western. With an ominous tone a day escalates into a powder keg of violence as a ruthless gang lays siege to a deserted inner city police station with a variety of characters trapped inside, intent on having no-one leave alive. A tense, well-made thriller, which got a remake in 2005.
5 / B
- PB

THE ASTRONAUT’S WIFE
With Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Joe Morton, Nick Cassavetes
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
After two astronauts experience 2 minutes radio silence while fixing a satellite, they return to earth. Everyone’s explanation is an explosion. The two men don’t quite seem themselves. Theron realizes this and is even more convinced when a former NASA employee tries to warn her, freaking her out even more, especially when it involves her in utero twins. Slow, smooth and quite a fresh take on the alien taking over angle. Theron is beautiful as ever while Depp doesn’t quite seem altogether there (perhaps it’s his southern accent and highlighted wavy hair in a big budget mainstream movie). An OK attempt by Nick, son of the legendary John.
3 / C
- PB

ATLANTIS
Directed by Luc Besson
Besson turns to documentary for this astonishing look at one of his first loves, the world below our oceans. Only the last few seconds are shot above the surface, the rest in an aquatic dream world sculpted with sound by Eric Serra. It’s a great extension from The Big Blue that would’ve been more appropriate if shot in Imax
5 / A
- PB

ATLANTIS - MILO'S RETURN
With voices of James Taylor, Cree Summer, John Mahoney
Directed by Tad Stones, Toby Shelton, Victor A. Cook
Like many a previous (straight to video) Disney spin-off, from The Little Mermaid and Aladdin to the Lion King, Atlantis received the same treatment. With a fraction of the budget, a throwaway script, inferior animation quality and voice characterization, it hardly compares to its predecessors (hard to believe it took 6 screenwriters and 3 directors!). But, when the kids know the characters and scenarios, they'll be into it, regardless of the lowered production values. In Milo's Return a delusional megalomaniac believes he's a mythical Viking god and uses crystals to exact his plan of returning to the age of Ragnarok. Milo and his Atlantis pals have to save the day. This "sequel" plays and looks like an extended TV cartoon with enough noise and eruptions to keep the kids' attention. (Cree Summer's voice can also be heard in The Wild Thornberry Movie).
1 / C
- PB

ATOMIC KITTEN - So Far So Good
The Liverpool trio of Natasha, Jenny and Liz may be from the Beatles' neck of the woods, but I wouldn't go so far as to compare the two in any way, shape or form. This documentary follows Atomic Kitten's rise to fame leading to number one singles and hit albums. A big surprise unfolded for me - the guys behind this mega-buck-earning project were in '80s pop group OMD (remember Joan Of Arc?). While the girls are still very much kids, they were even more infantile when they initially got started before Jenny replaced one of the original line-up. On the road, press conferences, live shows, rehearsals and all the usual behind-the-scenes music bits can be seen - with ample annoying screaming from the girls. The only shocking bit on the disc (besides thousands of kids singing along to their songs, including covers like The Bangles' Eternal Flame), is a young guy who actually got an Atomic Kitten tattoo behind his shoulder! Video clips include Right Now, See Ya, Follow Me, I Want Your Love, Whole Again and You Are.
2 / C
- PB

ATOMIC TRAIN
With Rob Lowe, Kristin Davis, John Finn, Eric King
Directed by Dick Lowry & David Jackson
Disaster TV movie with a runaway train containing an undisclosed nuclear bomb heading for Houston. Attempts to stop it fail constantly and evacuation madness ensues. Lowe being on the train, his family tension (new wife & her son and his daughter not quite gelling yet) needs to be overlooked in this time of peril and possible death (which happens to befall many along the way). Not too bad, but only if seen in a TV movie context. Some very cool explosions, though.
2 / C
- PB

ATTILA THE HUN
With Powers Boothe, Simmone Jade MacKinnon, Tim Curry, Reg Rogers, Gerard Butler, Alice Krige
Directed by Dick Lowry
In the wake of the Gladiator hype, the producers of this mini-series, released here on video/DVD as an epic feature, may have cashed in, but also unearthed an interesting historical character of which I for one, know very little but his name and brutal reputation. Born into a harsh land where family members easily turn on one another, Attila survived against the odds, displaying early signs of leadership. Through many years of hardship and oppression, Attila rose up to become King of the Huns, eventually bent on ruling the world. In a long-term plot to keep the ambitious Hun at bay, Roman General Flavius Aetius gets called in to sort him out. His unconventional method becomes his worst nightmare. Violence, cunning and a lifelong love play a big role in driving the story towards its tragic conclusion. Obviously poetic and creative license was used in more than a handful of occasions - the historic facts often bent more than a bit. But, if you can look past the American accents many Roman & Hun characters display, that'll be the least of your worries. After films like the aforementioned Gladiator and Braveheart, the battle scenes do little to impress, although large staged set-ups may have been a logistic nightmare with loads of horses and men to co-ordinate. Tim Curry does little to spice up the film with his small role while Krige is convincing as the mother of the young and impressionable Caesar. As a segmented mini-series Attila works, but as a feature it does little to keep you there 100%. Being made for TV, obviously the potential brutality and debauchery is scaled down - I mean we're talking Huns and Romans here for goodness sakes! The DVD offers no extras, the only bonus being the fact that it is presented in widescreen which most TV broadcasters will neglect. The soundtrack is also of greater digital quality as one would expect from DVD. Subtitles and language options are supplied.
3 / C
- PB

AUDIOSLAVE
The adjoined forces of Rage Against The Machine's musical counterparts and the man who gave Soundgarden its incredible voice was a phenomenal concept in itself, a great phenomenon even if they never pulled it off. With their debut album they proved that the match more than compensated for any doubts they might have had. This DVD contains an enlightening documentary (which can also double as an EPK) with views from all four of the Audioslave counterparts on their mindset entering into this (highly anticipated and expectant) adventure. But, what could've been a one-off "project" is now a considerable force, the quartet feeling like a band in stead of parts added together for a commercial purpose. And, if you haven't heard the album, take it from me, it slams royally. The music videos include the spectacular fireworks filled Cochise, the passionate mansion lounge-set of Like A Stone and the Vanishing Point movie inspired Show Me How To Live complete with muscle car, asphalt & desert. These guys needn't activate the cool act, they simply fuckin' are. Their live performance on a marquee in New York features the two tracks Gasoline and Set It Off. A remarkable new band with hard rock veterans who know exactly how to do it.
5 / A
- PB

AUDIOSLAVE - Live In Cuba
In 2005 Audioslave accomplished an historic feat by being the first American rock band to perform in Cuba. In the Out Of Exile documentary you get to hear their thoughts on the trip and performance, the place and the people, and travel with them around this fascinating country. The free concert drew a crowd of 60 000 people at the Anti-Imperialst Plaza in Havana. Besides the kick for the band, most of the people in the audience never experienced a live music experience such as this. With only two albums thus far, it is highly unlikely that the amalgamation of Rage Against The Machine and Soundgarden would leave out any of your favourite Audioslave tunes. They let rip with Set It Off, Your Time Has Come, the ever popular Like A Stone, The Worm, the pounding Gasoline, Doesn't Remind Me, the lovely Be Yourself, the punchy Bulls On Parade, Sleep Now In The Fire, Out Of Exile, the solo acoustically opened version of I Am The Highway, Show Me How To Live, and of course closing with the explosive Cochise. They also include an old Soundgarden tune, Outshined. While Chris Cornell's great voice struggles just a touch in places, Tom Morello's guitar is as spot-on as the recordings, including his intricate little fiddles and squeaks (but let's not forget the tight rhythm section of Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk). For those who care about minor details, some out-of-sync edited drum shots will be annoying. A powerful performance with no frills or gimmicks, coupled with some rock music history in the making.
5 / B
- PB

AU REVOIR CANTONA - THE OFFICIAL TRIBUTE VIDEO (in Afrikaans)
Hierdie video is ideaal vir Cantona en sokker aanhangers. Dis prop vol Cantona aksie en sluit elke doel in wat hy vir Manchester United aangeteken het. Met 'n dosyn eerbetonings van mense soos Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton en ander word hierdie sokker held geloof vir sy bydra tot die spel. Maar, slegs vir sokker aanhangers en Cantona liefhebbers.
3 / C
- PB

AUSTIN POWERS - International Man Of Mystery
With Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Michael York
Directed by Jay Roach
Powers is a swinging secret agent who is frozen in 1967 at the same time as his arch nemesis Dr Evil is frozen in a space fortress. Dr Evil returns to earth in 1997 and Powers is defrosted. The 30 year gap is only one of the few scene setters for crazy comedic culture clash gags. One of the best 007 spoofs ever, Myers really bounced back after everyone thought he’d only be remembered for Wayne’s World. Playing both lead roles, Myers pulls off one hell of an enjoyable comedy with great cliches, sets, costumes, music and humour. One of the must-see comedies of the late 90’s (including its sequel).
5 / A
- PB
...in Afrikaans...
AUSTIN POWERS
met Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley
Regisseur: Jay Roach
Mike Myers van Wayne's World faam lewer hier die kragtoer van sy loopbaan. Hy speel Austin Powers, 'n koel, kalm, berekende geheime agent en partytjie dier wat in 1967 gevries word, terselfde tyd as sy aardsvyand, Dr. Evil (ook deur Myers vertolk) wat in 'n "criogenic" sateliet om die aarde sweef. Wanneeer Dr. Evil terug keer aarde toe in 1997, word Powers ook ontvries om hierdie "mal" man se smag na wereld dominasie te stuit. Dit is natuurlik vanselfsprekend dat die 30 jaar tydsverloop tot heelwat verwarring lei met talle komiese gevolge. Wat vir my die hoogtepunt is in Austin Powers, is die 007 spottery, die "hip" klankbaan en die 60er jarige taalgebruik, houding en styl van ons "internasionale, misterieuse held". Dit kom meestal neer op lawwe humor, maar Myers bemag dit so goed dat jy geen keuse het as om te skater nie. En ek het gedink sy loopbaan sal bly vassit in 'n rat van onvolwasse Amerikaanse tiener rolle, ala Beavis & Butthead. Hy's wel taamlik onvolwasse hier, maar op 'n manier wat in 1967 aanvaarbaar sou wees. Dit is wat sy karakter so snaaks maak. Sy Engelse aksent is ook baie goed nageboots. Hoewel daar heelwat fissieke humor is, ontaard dit nie heeltemal in 'n slapstick spektakel nie. Diegene wat nie veel kennis van die 60er kultuur of James Bond en die 007 rolprente het nie, sal dit dalk vlou vind. Ek het gedink die sestiger jare se herlewing is verby, maar in Austin Powers neem dit 'n heel ander gedaante aan wat saam met die herotdekking van ou cliches 'n resep vir lekker vermaak skep.
5 / A
- PB

AUSTIN POWERS - THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME
With Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Robert Wagner
Directed by Jay Roach
To at least equal the original Aurtin Powers seemed an unlikely feat, but Myers does it in spades. Dr Evil builds a time machine and goes back to a frozen powers, stealing his mojo. This event kick starts a mad ride filled with Autin Powerisms, rude silly and side-splitting laughs as well as a third character played by Myers, the vulgarly obese Fat Bastard. Mini Me is a scream and Graham is real hot. A wonderful sequel that really builds on from its predecessor.
5 / A
- PB

Austin Powers in GOLDMEMBER
With Mike Myers, Michael Caine, Beyonce Knowles, Vern Troyer, Robert Wagner
Directed by Jay Roach
It is so easy for sequels to be total disasters, but with characters and crazy humour like this, you cannot miss. This hilarious third installment in the Austin Powers trilogy is an essential part of the Powers culture created by Myers, you know, shagadelic & all that. Dr Evil is back, mini-me, fat bastard and a few new characters like Goldmember - a Dutch nutter with flakey freckled skin out to destroy the world with Dr Evil. Destiny's Child star Knowles ain't much of an actress, but she looks the part as the Pam Grier rip-off secret agent from the mid 70s - the era where Powers travels in order to save his estranged father (Caine) who was kidnapped to that time by Dr Evil. The gags are all over the place, some of the old ones rehashed to perfection while many new angles and situations keep it afloat nicely (like flashes to our pro- & antagonist's childhood and the film version of Austin Powers' life!). As usual, the evil plan is not of importance. It is the ludicrous situations leading up to the thwarting of the plan that gets all the detail, the sharp and irresistible hilarious dumb jokes as wacky and enjoyable as that of the previous two smashes.
5 / A
- PB

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK
With Richard Gere, Wynona Ryder, Anthony Lapaglia
Directed by Joan Chen
The initial eye rolling factor prior to the viewing this film was pretty high. There's nothing better than be proven wrong. This tender love story scoops you up softly without forcing the overdone issues at hand. A womanizing New York celebrity restaurant owner in his very late 40's gets involved with a girl of 22. At first not expecting it to go any further than most of his flings, he falls for her. But, she has a heart condition and limited time. This is hardly a big surprise factor and doesn't give away much as their relationship develops (and capsizes) and her fate just a matter of time (which Chen handles magnificently throwing it at you unexpectedly). Gere learns to love and not be such a selfish prick while she has the opportunity of something lasting before she dies - but it's not like her love let it happen… I still don't know what sex appeal lies in Gere's sunken beady eyes, huge nose and jagged teeth.
4 / C
- PB

THE AVIATOR
With Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Howard Hughes was a charismatic, innovative, eccentric and highly driven pragmatic dreamer whose wealth made it possible for him to gamble on film- and aviation projects, playing a great role in advancing both industries. This highly entertaining biopic digs into the man's state of mind, which slowly became obsessive-compulsive, adding to the mad genius theory. His relationships with actresses (like the Oscar® winning Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn), his investors, rivals and ultimately himself, is treated with great care. While DiCaprio was good in the role, his youthful look (fortunate in some cases, unfortunate here) simply didn't fly all the time. Success, psychological deterioration, inventive brilliance, chaos, lifestyles of the rich & famous and adversity from rival airlines and the government added up to one hell of an interesting life. While we usually take films like this to be factually accurate, some liberties are often taken, like the small case of the Spruce Goose (biggest water plane ever built) taking its maiden (and only) flight which was mere metres above the water for a short period - here digitally depicted as a triumphant protracted soar. For many years Martin Scorsese has been passed over for an Oscar®. Like his previous film Gangs Of New York, The Aviator also failed to put the statuette on his mantelpiece. While The Aviator was a fascinating biography of a very intriguing American figure, its flash and style did not match the gritty intensity of his previous masterpieces Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas, films that deserved multiple awards, but got snubbed by inferior, more commercial productions.
5 / B
- PB

AVRIL LAVIGNE - My World
The overwhelming welcome Avril got as a multi-million selling pop-punk phenomenon is no small thing. This DVD showcases her big tour for her debut album. Besides the serious static problem with her hair on stage, Avril's voice slips a little at times, falling a little flat. The energy level also seems a little stagnant (even when two audience members are pulled on-stage to sing along). The full live show is supplemented with behind the scenes footage of her Try To Shut Me Up Tour. You also get outtakes, a photo gallery and 5 of her music videos (incl. Complicated, Sk8er Boi, and Knocking On Heaven's Door - which needn't have been redone again). The backstage footage gets stupid (as it usually does), but at least you can see that she is still a silly little girl who happens to be a relatively large star. A bonus audio CD includes five live tracks. Green Day's Basketcase and Metallica's Fuel (from The MTV Icons series) being the more interesting. As lame as she sometimes can be, she still is kinda cute - for a Canadian!
3 / B
- PB