To fans of classic science fiction and fantasy cinema few filmmakers are as revered as the great special effects master Ray Harryhausen. While he certainly wasn’t the first to use stop-motion effects in movies, Harryhausen mastered the technique and [...]
David Mamet surely ranks as one of the finest screenwriters currently working in the film industry. While not every script he’s penned has been a gem, they all offer insightful character exposition and often biting social commentary. When Mamet also [...]
"Taps" is one of a handful of movies that seemed to play in an endless loop on HBO back in the mid-1980s. I must have seen the film a couple of dozen times as a lad so it was with some trepidation that I sat down to review this new DVD from 20th [...]
The National Geographic Society continues to amaze me with its ability to branch out beyond the confines of its familiar yellow magazine and take advantage of the latest technology to expand its mission of global education. They were quick to embrace both [...]
I was working in the book business when Louis de Bernières novel, "Captain Corelli’s Mandolin," first came out and I can attest to the fact that it created quite a stir and was widely read by all types of people who would have typically shied [...]
Ever since the advent of the motion picture it has been popular to turn beloved literary classics into movies. Among the most memorable of these are the lavish spectacles based on tales of grand adventure and daring-do. Alexandre Dumas’ "The Three [...]
"Ghost World" is a film that resides near the top of just about every film critic’s top ten list for 2001. Unfortunately, this was not an easy movie to market and even all the accolades didn’t lead to much box office success. One look at the [...]
"The Tiger of Eschnapur" and "The Indian Tomb" were two of the last films directed by the acclaimed German director Fritz Lang. Based on a story Lang originally co-authored in 1921 (and which was made into a wonderful silent film [...]
Following the tried-and-true Disney formula and their own steps with the "Land Before Time" series, Universal Home Video is now releasing a direct-to-video sequel to their beloved animated feature film, 1995’s wolf saga "Balto." [...]
Disney couldn’t have picked a worse time to unveil "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." The summer of 2001 had already been claimed by that giant green juggernaut, "Shrek, " and audiences simply didn’t know what to make of Disney’s [...]
