This Month's Featured Equipment Reviews |
|
Past DVD Hardware / Software News |
|
|
Sports
Tuesday, 14 March 2006 |
Written by
Paul Lingas
|
title:
Through The Fire
function popUp(URL,NAME) {
amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10');
amznwin.focus();}
document.open();
document.write("");
document.close(); <br>
studio:
ESPN Home Entertainment
MPAA rating:
Unrated (suitable for general audiences)
Starring:
Sebastian Telfair
theatrical release:
2005
DVD release:
2006
film rating:
Two-and-a-half Stars
sound/picture rating:
Three Stars
reviewed by:
Paul Lingas
“Through
the Fire” tells the story of former high school basketball phenom and
current Portland Trailblazer Sebastian Telfair. Though supposed to be
in the same vein as “Hoop Dreams,” this film lacks the dramatic flair
of its predecessor.
Tuesday, 14 March 2006 |
Written by
Paul Lingas
|
title:
Remember the Titans - Director’s Cut
function popUp(URL,NAME) {
amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10');
amznwin.focus();}
document.open();
document.write("");
document.close();
studio:
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
MPAA rating:
PG – Theatrical Version, Unrated – Director’s Cut
Starring:
Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Donald Faison, Nicole Ari Parker, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst
theatrical release year:
2000
DVD release year:
2006
film rating:
Three Stars
sound/picture rating:
Two-and-a-half Stars
reviewed by:
Paul Lingas
“Remember
the Titans” is one of those feel-good sports stories where the basic
nature of a game, in this case football, helps those involved with it
as coaches, players and spectators overcome all of their problems. A
somewhat charming and emotionally satisfying, if overly simplistic,
film from 2000, this so-called director’s cut is so close to the
theatrical version that it really seems as though Disney is simply
repackaging the film so they can sell more DVDs – not that Disney has
ever been above that sort of thing.
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 |
Written by
Paul Lingas
|
title:
The Longest Yard
function popUp(URL,NAME) {
amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10');
amznwin.focus();}
document.open();
document.write("");
document.close();
studio:
Paramount Home Enterainment
MPAA rating:
PG-13
starring:
Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, James Cromwell, Nelly, William Fichtner, Burt Reynolds
director:
Peter Segal
film release year:
1989
DVD release year:
2005
film rating:
Four Stars
sound/picture rating:
One Star
reviewed by:
Paul Lingas
A not very faithful rendition of the original, “The Longest Yard”
really doesn’t give any semblance of feeling that these players are
trapped in a prison. Though the guards are mean, where the inmates
practice makes it look like anyone can escape with a little bit of
planning. The funniest thing about this is that director Peter Segal
and the production designers comment on how fierce and tough the prison
looks. But come on, what was anyone expecting? This is not a commentary
about society or prisons or even football, it is a testosterone-filled
foray into hard-hitting football comedy.
Tuesday, 12 July 2005 |
Written by
Bryan Dailey
|
title:
Million Dollar Baby
function popUp(URL,NAME) {
amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10');
amznwin.focus();}
document.open();
document.write("");
document.close();
studio:
Warner Bros. Home Video
MPAA rating:
PG-13
starring:
Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
film release year:
2004
DVD release year:
2005
film rating:
Four Stars
sound/picture rating:
Three and a half Stars
reviewed by:
Bryan Dailey
When one sees a movie after it has cleaned up at the Academy Awards,
one obviously has certain expectations. I had heard nothing but the
highest of praise for Clint Eastwood's twenty-fifth film as a director,
the female boxing drama based on a Paul Haggis screenplay of an F.X.
Toole story called “Rope Burns.” “Million Dollar Baby” is a beautifully
simple story of a girl who comes of age a little later in life than
most and a hardened man who has been struggling with the emotional loss
(not the death of) his own daughter. I went in expecting a knock-down,
drag-out boxing movie in the vein of “Rocky,” but was surprised to find
that, although everything in this movie is about ...
Tuesday, 21 June 2005 |
Written by
Bill Warren
|
title:
Coach Carter
function popUp(URL,NAME) {
amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10');
amznwin.focus();}
document.open();
document.write("");
document.close();
studio:
Paramount
MPAA rating:
PG-13
starring:
Samuel
L. Jackson, Rob Brown, Robert Ri’chard, Rick Gonzales, Nana Gbewonyo,
Antwon Tanner, Channing Tatum, Ashanti, Texas Battle
director:
Thomas Carter
film release year:
2005
DVD release year:
2005
film rating:
Two Stars
sound/picture rating:
Four Stars
reviewed by:
Bill Warren
In 1999, Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made
nationwide news by locking the gym and refusing to let his (varsity)
team play—and they had been having the school’s best year. When he
agreed to be coach, he had his players sign contracts with 20
clauses—only one of which related to playing basketball. One of the
terms the players agreed to was to maintain a 2.3 grade point average,
and they hadn’t done so. Carter refused to let them play until their
grades reached that level.
|
|